The Wolves At Our Backs
by Angelinasway
Summary: When the world ends, what do we have left to do but fight. You can't save everyone, but maybe its the ones you can save that really matter. This story is now betaed!
1. Prologue

A/N: This story is now betaed thanks to the amazing Charlotte. Thank you so much for the help hon!

I'm very excited to be writing again, and I hope you all enjoy this! Please leave a review and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

 **Prologue  
**  
 _This is the way the world ends  
This is the way the world ends  
This is the way the world ends  
Not with a bang but a whimper._

T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men

It happened fast.

 **Your mailbox is full. Please delete new or stored messages.**

New voice message:

 _"Buffy, it's Dawn. Look, I know you're off grid right now, but if you happen to get a signal please call me. There's been a lot of freaky ass stuff on the news and I'm really scared."_

 **New voice message:** _"Yo B, its Faith. I know you're still in the Everglades with Oz, but well, there's no easy way to say this. We got an Apocalypse on our hands, and it's looking to be manmade. Don't worry, I got it covered on this end for now, just get your ass back to Cleveland as soon as possible, okay?"_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy its Giles. I'm not sure if you are aware of what's going on, but when you get this, call me. Rome is too dangerous for Dawn at the moment, so Kennedy is flying out to extract her. I thought you would like to know she's safe. I also still can't get ahold of Willow. We need her. We need you. Please call me."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, it's Xander. What the hell is going on? I just got to Comodoro and it looks like the whole fucking world has lost its mind! There are zombies everywhere! Call me!"_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, its Dawn. I…I-its Kennedy. S-she's dead. S-she got bit by one of t-those things. I-I had to Buffy. S-s-she got sick, a-and then s-s-she died, but s-s-she didn't stay t-t-that way. She a-attached Giles, and now he's s-sick too. I don't know what to do and we still can't get ahold of Willow. Please call me."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, it's Spike. Look, I know you're off helpin' Angel's dog girl and her pack, but we really need Willow right now. The whole worlds going straight to hell, and she's the only one we know with enough mojo to stop it. Please Buffy, when you get this give me or Angel a call. Wes is real sick. I've never felt someone with such a high fever."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, it's Willow. I-I just got to Scotland. Giles…H-he's dead. I-I couldn't stop it. This thing w-whatever it is. It's not mystical in origin. This isn't some demon trying to end the world. It was created by one of two things, us or Mother Nature. I-I'm not capable of stopping it. Look, I'm teleporting the girls out of here. It's not safe anymore. I'm heading to Cleveland Headquarters. I'll have Faith call you to tell you we're safe when we get there. If you still have a signal by the time you get this please call me. Dawn, she's not good Buffy. S-s-she had to kill Kennedy. We really need you."_

 **New voice message:** _"B, its Faith. Willow wanted me to call and tell you they made it to Cleveland okay. It's getting bad. I don't know how much longer we can hold out. Xander just called me from L.A. He went to Wolfram and Hart hoping to find Spike and Angel, but the place was locked up tighter than Fort Knox. He's heading to the Hyperion next, hoping Team Dead set up shop there. If it's anything like Cleveland though, I don't know how long they will be able to hold out. I've lost six girls B. I-I can't do this alone. Please call me."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, it's Xander. Look,I just made it to the Hyperion. Team Dead is alive and well except for Wesley. They lost him to the fever. There's something you should know. Most of the demons are hopping dimensions. I guess with this illness or whatever the hell it is, it's got most of them real spooked, can't really blame them either, especially with their food supply being contaminated. Anyway when you get back on grid give me a call. We're all starting to worry."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, its Dawn. I really need you. Please call."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, its Xander again. Faith just called. Apparently they've just had an incident that could possibly help us in all this. Oz's friend Micah showed up. You know the one with the same furry little problem as Oz. Coincidentally enough; werewolves seem to repel these things. We aren't sure what we're gonna do about that revelation just yet, but it's good to know you're in a place where you are safe right now. Willow thinks it might have to do with scent and how their blood smells. Micah was shot by some men trying to rob him. He turned of course. By the time he was done with them a few of the dead had come out of the woodwork to feed. He attacked them too. They died a few minutes after he bit them. Micah said he was sick as a dog for two days. He thought he would become one of them. He said he almost shot a silver bullet through his heart to be sure."_

 **New voice message:** _"Sorry voicemail cut out. Anyway he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill himself, and instead of turning into one of the deadheads like he thought he would, he got better. If he's by himself he said he can walk right through them without incident. If he's with a human his sent distracts the…Ugh! They aren't Zombies. If you haven't noticed I'm trying not to call them that anymore. We've seen Zombies, these aren't them. I don't know what these are other than Walking Dead. Maybe we should call them Walkers. Hey, that's kinda catchy! Anyway, I've noticed the same thing about the Walkers with Angel and Spike. We don't get attacked when we walk between them. I bet they are just as immune as werewolves are. It would make sense considering they're dead already, and I'm positive they don't smell human to many animals. Gotta go, Buff, hope you receive this. We are worried about cell towers and power at the moment. Not sure how long it will last."_

 **New voice message:** _"Hey B, its Faith. I lost Iris today. I don't know how it happened. One minute we were fighting Walkers off a group of civilians, the next a group of men in masks started shooting at us, screaming about the end of days. I killed someone tonight Buffy. It's not the first time I've had to in the past week, but it was always me making the tough call of either leaving people to die and saving us, or…or leaving someone infected behind because I had too. I saved people, but the losses are too high. This is getting out of control. I don't want to be this person again. Please, god please. I can't do this without you. Ugh! You know I suck at this feelings shit!"_

 **New voice message:** _"Hey Buffy, its Angel. I'm sorry I haven't called sooner. Loosing Wes… that was…That was just as bad as loosing Cordy. Connor's here now, living the life I tried to save him from. Everything I went through to protect him and he's right back where he started. Sometimes I blame myself for all this. Maybe if I hadn't asked you to help teach Nina's pack control, you would have been there when this all started. Faiths not well Buffy, and I don't know how much longer it will be before her control slips completely. We need you, hope you get this soon before there's no power left at all."_

 **New voice message:** _"Hello Buffy, its Spike. Hey love, don't listen to that bloody wanker! I overheard that ponce's voice message, and I know you enough to know if you aren't already blaming yourself, then his words just put you there. He's an arrogant git, who has absolutely no idea what the hell he's talking about. Right now, with what we're finding out about the werewolves the more of them that can control themselves the better. Doing what you're doing right now is what we need for the survival of humanity… That's right, you heard me Peaches! Well maybe if you thought things through before sayin' them! Oh that's bloody rich coming from you…"_

 **New voice message:** _"Hey Buffy, Its Xander. Look, I don't know what Angel said, but none of this is your fault. Don't you dare, blame yourself. You've only been gone two weeks. I know you'll get these. I know you're probably getting ready to leave within the next few days. I know you'll make it in time to hear these. You always do. I have faith in that."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, it's Willow. We can't stay in Cleveland any longer. I don't know what's worse right now, the people or the dead. Me and Faith are scavenging for as many supplies as we can before we leave. We're heading south towards Micah's pack. You remember where it is right, Talladega National Forest in Alabama. We thought of coming to you, but that's a long way with a lot of mouths to feed, its better if we meet you half way. It's getting really scary out there and with so much of a military presence around here we're starting to get paranoid. Try to avoid the city's okay. Take care of yourself Buffy. I hope to see you soon."_

 **New voice message:** _"Buffy, Its Angel again. I'm sorry about what I said before. If I made you feel guilty, I wasn't trying to, and as much as I hate admitting it, Spike was right. I should have worded what I said better. Truth is I've missed talking to you and Nina. I lost Wes and I can't even talk to either my closest friend or my girlfriend. I'm terrified Buffy! All of this, it's just happening so fast."_

 **New voice message:** _"'Lo Buffy, We are leaving the city today. We're heading to Nevada. You know the pack Nina used to run with… We are turning off cell phones to conserve the power. I'll call you when we get there, if we still can."_

 **New voice message:** _"Hey Buff, Xander here. There is some very important information I just realized no one has bothered to tell you, how to kill the Walkers. They only die from brain trauma. We don't know the why yet. Anyway, good luck. I hope to see you again. If all goes well with us in Nevada maybe we'll see each other soon."_

 **Missed text messages:** _531_

Buffy and Oz stared at her cell phone in disbelief. Tears were in both their eyes. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. This had to be some kind of cruel joke.

It was then they heard it. Both of them looked up and saw a group of military helicopters flying in formation towards their destination. Miami. Buffy looked at Oz, face pale and stricken, before she hopped out of the van and vaulted onto the roof. Oz was quick to follow. They stood next to each other watching in horror as the light show in the distance played out in front of them.

"Are we dreaming?" Buffy asked voice clogged with emotion.

"If we are," Oz whispered. "I would really like to wake up."

Oz's face suddenly wrinkled in disgust. "Do you smell that?"

She squinted into the dark distance, smelling the foul odder of death. She froze, her eyes widening at seeing the amount of hobbling figures headed towards them.

"Oz, I think we're gonna need our weapons." Her eyes widened even further at the feeling of darkness that began to consume her. It was so different than any other demon she had faced before. It was emptiness, a void of unfathomable darkness that sent an icy shiver up her spine. "Like, now!"


	2. Chapter One

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews everyone! I'm having such a blast writing this! Please keep them coming!

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **Two Months Later:**

They were setting up camp when he heard it. It sounded like a horse screaming and galloping away. Immediately after, a succession of sounds followed. A loud thud and the distinctive sound of a body rolling down a hill and then a large splash and labored breathing. He turned to Buffy and noticed her headphones firmly in place as she dug a hole for the fire they would be starting later that evening. Oz turned back toward the noise, his nose up as he scented the air around them. It only took a few moments for the scent of human blood hit him, and he got to his feet.

Buffy looked up when Oz stood. She noticed his stiff posture as she watched him sniff the air. They could read each other so well. After years of working together she knew when he sensed things simply by his stance alone. It was him who had come to her five years ago asking for help with the werewolf packs around the US. The job had originally been Xander's, but she had seen the potential in using Oz instead. They hadn't been making much headway with the Wolves in North America, and she was semi-retired from Slaying anyway, so on a whim she decided to join him.

It was a year later that she enlisted Team Dead to help in locating some of the Packs that tended to be more elusive. That was when she met Nina. It was funny, in a weird kind of way how well they got along. Nina was dating Angel after all, and had been for going on eight years, but she worked well with the other women. So well in fact, Buffy and Oz had wanted her with them when they found out the world had gone to shit overnight. After their run in with the massive group of Walkers and almost dying five times over; after several failed frantic attempts at trying to get any kind of signal to tell the others she received their messages and what the plan on her end was, both she and Oz had decided to turn back around. They spent a day and half making the trek back to the Pack. Unfortunately, Nina had refused to leave. Not that Buffy actually blamed her. They had a large amount of children living in the compound, and Nina was fiercely protective of them. If anyone was strong enough to protect those kids, it was definitely her.

So she and Oz had set out expecting to make it to Alabama as quickly as possible. That had been almost two months ago. They had done a good portion of their traveling on foot, having to leave behind Oz's van somewhere between Miami and Tampa. Food had been hard to come by for a while, until they had come across an abandoned Winn-Dixie truck loaded with can goods. They had packed their backpacks as full as they could and had almost made it into Tampa when it happened. Humans, and not the nice kind either. Both Buffy and Oz had been wounded in the fight, and it had set them back in their travels considerably.

After that they had tried to avoid most people, unless they were in trouble and needed their assistance. When they finally made it to Georgia, Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. One more state to navigate and they were almost there. Georgia was an easier state to travel through, less congestion on the roads. They found a vehicle pretty quickly, though it didn't last but a day before it ran out of gas, it still got them far enough to not feel like they had wasted time in procuring it. They had found another vehicle about a week later, a truck this time, but had to abandon it due to the car graveyard back on the main highway. They were so close to Alabama she could taste it, maybe two more days until they passed the Stateline, _'Almost there Dawnie, almost there.'_

She turned off her IPod, which still worked thanks to the car charger she had found for it. "Everything alright?" She asked.

Oz shook his head. "Didn't you say you scouted out a gully not too far from here?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Oz looked over his shoulder at her. "Because I think someone just fell in it. They're bleeding too."

Buffy's nose scrunched up and she frowned. "Human?"

"Yep."

Her frown deepened further. "Well, whoever it is better not of gotten themselves bit and ruined any chance I had at a much needed bath."

Oz grinned despite himself. This is what they did, especially when they needed that little bit of normality. When they needed to forget the harshness of the world around them, forget what they lost, and what they still hadn't found.

"You do kinda stink." Oz said, knowing it would get Buffy riled.

Her eyes narrowed at him, her lips pursing. "Yeah, well at least I don't smell like wet dog when I bath."

Oz snorted. "Screw you!"

She grinned. "World keeps going the way it is, you might get your wish."

Oz made a face and visibly shuddered. "No thanks. That would be like sleeping with my sister. Plus you know me, I only fall for lesbians."

Buffy snorted in amusement. "Oh…and how do you know I don't have some lesbian tendencies of my own?"

He raised his eyebrow at her in response, and Buffy laughed. "You know you love me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He waved her off. "Now, are you gonna go help the poor guy who has probably drowned while you've been trying to seduce me, or not?"

Buffy chuckled, grabbing her scythe and the two swords that she always carried. She slid the swords into the holster on her back, and slid her scythe into the holster on her belt. Her daggers and gun followed next.

"Keep telling yourself that dog-boy."

She heard his chuckle as she walked away. She smiled even bigger. It was so rare now they had a time where they could just be themselves. To laugh, to do anything other than try to survive this hell, hoping against hope that the people they loved made it out of this shit storm into some relative safety.

She began walking the path she had taken earlier, senses on high alert. There was a couple of Walkers near the path. She disposed of them quickly and kept going. When the foliage broke in front of her, she stopped short. Oz had been right. A man had fallen into the gully. It looked like he had tried to climb back out too. He was covered in mud and blood, and she could see the arrow sticking through his side. She walked closer and heard him mumble something. She noticed his crossbow lying next to him and quickly kicked it out of reach.

"Hey there," Buffy whispered, bending down. "You alive?"

He jerked forward at her words, eyes flying open. He immediately reached for his weapon and Buffy grabbed his wrist. "Hey, hey, now, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." She paused, rethinking what she just said. "Well maybe just a little." He quickly stiffened at her words, and she hastily explained. "You see I have to get this arrow out and we're gonna need to disinfect and stitch the wound. You'll probably need antibiotics and pain..." Buffy stopped mid-sentence and blushed. "God, I'm babbling. Sorry. Anyway that's probably gonna hurt a bit, but besides that I won't hurt you, okay?"

Daryl studied the woman silently. She was tiny, way too small to be able to actually carry the weapons that where strapped all over her, forget about actually wielding them. She looked like some twisted version of Beach-Barbie and he had to force himself not to make a smartass comment about it. His gaze roamed back up to her face and he sucked in a breath of surprise. Her eyes told a very different story. They were like sharp cut emeralds, hard yet infinite. He felt as if she could see right into his soul. There was sadness there, but no malice or hatred, and he found himself relaxing under her stare.

"Go on then, if you know how." He said gruffly.

"I do." She nodded, "Done it to myself more than once."

His only response was to raise an eyebrow at her. She ignored his questioning look as she dug through her satchel looking for her Leatherman tool. When she felt the cool metal against her fingers she looked up. "Okay, I'm gonna need you to turn on your side so I can cut the end off."

He nodded, and did as she asked. She used the pliers to snip the feathered tip off and then wrapped her hand around the other side, "Okay on the count of three. You ready?"

He sucked in a breath eyeing her warily. Then once again gave his consent with a small tilt of his head.

"One… Two…" And she yanked.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelled eyes wide in disbelief. "You said on three!"

Buffy's lips twitched slightly. "I didn't think it would make a difference. We both knew it was going to hurt. No point in prolonging the inevitable."

He looked at her and blinked a few times. "You ain't from around here, are ya?"

She grinned at him, biting back the witty comment on the tip of her tongue. She reminded herself it wasn't very nice to make jokes after she had just ripped an arrow out him. Instead she held out her hand. "Names Buffy."

He looked at her hand a long moment, before he held out his own and shook hers. "Daryl."

"Well Daryl," Buffy said, unstrapping the harness from around her back and removing the white button down she was wearing over her tank top. He noticed the scars then. She had a strange one on her neck that looked almost like a bite mark. Another one that peaked out the back of her shirt; it almost looked like the remnants of some kind of sword wound. She had another large scar that ran from her shoulder to elbow, which also had the look of a wound caused by a large bladed weapon. "I think the next course of action is to get some of that mud off of you so I can bind your wound better. My camps not too far from here, I'll be able to stitch you up there. I also have some disinfectant and a bottle of antibiotics to help with infection."

He blinked at her, surprise clearly on his face. "Why're you doing this?"

Buffy shrugged, reaching out her hand again. He took it, and she helped him to his feet, "It's kinda what I do. Plus, haven't really run into many good people lately, it's nice to know there's still a few left."

She helped him out into the water, getting his outer shirt off. She frowned when she saw the state of the one underneath.

"And how do you know I'm good people?" He asked stepping further into the water.

"Same reason you do," Buffy said as she stepped out with him. "The eyes, they say everything about a person." She was still eyeing his shirt in distaste when she added, "Better take that one off too. It's filthy."

He stopped at her words and turned around, shaking his head. "Oh come on Daryl, it's not like you got anything I haven't seen before. Here, if you want I'll turn around." She proceeded to do just that when she heard him hiss in pain. "You alright?"

"Ya', my side just hurts like a bitch is all." He grunted and she heard the sound of fabric ripping.

"Make sure you dunk your head too. I need to take a look at where it's bleeding." She wrapped her arms around herself as she heard the sound of water splashing behind her.

"You know, you're kinda bossy for such a tiny thing." He stated, before dunking his head under the water.

Buffy snorted. "That's kinda what I do too. Or it used to be, before all…" She waved her hand around.

He nodded in understanding, even though she couldn't see him. "You used to be in the military or somethin'?"

She shrugged. "Or something."

The sound of water sloshing towards her told Buffy he had finished. She turned around, keeping her eyes level with his and handed him her shirt. "Here, use this to bind your wound."

He took it from her gratefully, tying it above where the arrow had gone through. She reached out her hand and he stiffened in response. "Hey now, I just need to take a closer look at the cut on your temple. Don't worry. I won't bite."

Her only response was a grunt and him tilting his head for her to get a better look. Her hand cupped his cheek, and she slowly brought the other one up to brush the hair that was stuck to his forehead away. He closed his eyes and shivered at her soft touch. "There now, that's not so bad is it?" She pulled away smiling. "It's not nearly as bad as I thought it was. When I heard you mumbling, I thought you had given yourself a concussion."

His eyes popped open, and he stepped back. "I was?"

If Buffy didn't know any better, she'd think he was blushing. She nodded, "You kept saying Merle. Is he the reason you're out here alone."

He was quiet for a while, not wanting to think about his brother. "Nah, I was out here looking for a little girl. She ran into the woods a couple of days ago when we got stuck on the highway. A couple of walkers were after her. We got the Geeks, but we haven't been able to find her since."

Buffy's eyes widened in surprise. A little girl all alone out here, she didn't even want to think of what could be happening to her. "I'll tell you what, after we get you all patched up and get some dinner in you. We'll help you find her okay?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "We?"

Buffy smiled then. "Me and Oz. Don't worry, we've known each other for years. He's like a brother to me." She beamed at him. "You'll like him."

He bit his thumb nail in contemplation. _'Fuck it, what could it hurt.'_ At least he knew he could trust her. If she had really wanted to hurt him she would have already. He watched her bend down and pick up her holster, strapping it back on expertly. She picked up his crossbow next and he stopped breathing for a minute as she admired it, but then her eyes met his and she handed it to him.

"That's a nice one." she said. "You take good care of it. I can tell."

"You know a lot about bows?" He grunted.

She gave him a secretive smile. "I know a lot about a lot of different weapons… Now come on, let's get you patched up and fed. I'm sure Oz is starting to worry about me."

*o*o*

When they stepped out of the woods and into the camp where Oz was waiting for her, she knew she was in trouble. He looked frustrated in a way she hadn't seen him in a long time.

"Jesus Christ Buffy! Do you think you could have taken just a little…?" He stopped speaking when he noticed their guest, his mouth shutting with an audible click.

"Oz," Buffy said, her eyes narrowing. "I would like you to meet our guest. This is Daryl. Daryl this is Oz."

Oz scrutinized the man for a minute, his eyes softening when he realized he wasn't a threat and was quite clearly in pain. "Hey," He said walking forward. "Sorry, I was just worried about Buffy. I'm Daniel Osbourne, but everyone just calls me Oz." He put his hand out in greeting.

Daryl was going to fall over if one more person offered their hand to him. In all his years not one person ever offered to shake his hand, and certainly not strangers. It made him feel out of his element. Like he should be worth something he didn't feel like he was.

He found himself reaching out anyway. There was something different about these two. He didn't know what it was yet, but as twitchy as Oz seemed, the way he kept eyeing Buffy worriedly. He had a feeling he didn't have much of a wait to find out.

"Oz," Buffy broke the silence. "Can you pull the extra sleeping bag out, and then grab the med kit?"

She looked up at Daryl. "How you feeling?"

He grimaced. "Like shit run over twice."

Buffy lips twitched in amusement and she patted Daryl's shoulder, guiding him over to where Oz was spreading out the sleeping bag. She gently helped him sit down.

She knew by the look in Oz's eyes, what had him so worried. She just realized it herself. Tonight was the full moon. It always seemed to surprise them lately. They hadn't been very good at keeping track of the days since all this happened, and though Oz usually sensed it a few days before it happened. The stress was affecting his ability to tell when he was getting agitated from the wolf, or simply himself.

They wouldn't have had to worry if it had been a month ago, but one of the keys to Oz's ability to control the Wolf was he had to allow himself to change every few months. Keeping the Wolf constantly suppressed was like creating a ticking time bomb that had no issue with ripping your throat out. Unfortunately that meant Oz had to go through the transition tonight, or he would become a major liability to just about everyone.

Buffy sighed, slipping a pair of gloves on and grabbing the pack of sutures. She tore open a pack of gauze with her teeth and poured a decent amount of disinfectant on it. She looked at Daryl, "Okay, I'm gonna need you to lie back for me."

He did as requested, hissing when she pressed the gauze against the exit wound. "It doesn't look like there's any internal bleeding. You got lucky."

She threaded the needle, dipping it in the alcohol to be safe. "Unfortunately we don't have any anesthetic, so this is probably gonna hurt quite a bit. Sorry."

He nodded at her, sucking in a breath as she began to make the first stitch. He groaned in the back of his throat and closed his eyes, his fist clenching at his sides. He bit his lip at the feel of the needle pulling through flesh.

"Sorry," She whispered again. "Almost done with this side." She realized now why he hadn't wanted her to see him shirtless. His chest was covered in scars, old ones from the looks of it. She bit her lip trying to hide the sympathy she knew was showing clearly in her eyes. She sighed, as she pulled the last stich through. "Now for the other side."

Daryl turned on his side and Buffy began to repeat the process. It took less time, and for that he was grateful. When she finished she tapped up the wound, and then had him sit up while she wrapped a cloth bandage around his torso. A bottle of antibiotics was passed to him next. "Take one now."

She stood up giving Oz a pointed look as she walked over to her tent. She stepped inside and he came in shortly after, watching as she rifled clean cloths out of her pack.

"What are we gonna do?" Oz whispered harshly.

Buffy shrugged, grabbing her towel and the few toiletry items she had. "I don't really see the point of the code of secrecy anymore. Do you?"

Oz's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? Buffy if he sees what I am, he's goanna run screaming! You're gonna get this guy killed!"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. He doesn't strike me as the squeamish type."

"Squeamish," Oz yelped. "Squeamish! I turn into a giant man eating dog in less than four hours, and you're worried about him being squeamish!"

Buffy sighed, "The jury's still out on that one and you know it!" His eyes widened, and Buffy held up her hand. "You have never killed anyone for food Oz. The only time you've done it is when you were protecting others. So don't pull that I'm gonna hurt people crap!" Buffy paused, taking a deep breath and running her fingers through her matted hair. "I'm sorry, it's just this is the way the world is now. How are we supposed to help humanity survive, if we hide away? We can't help people that way. Not anymore."

All the fight left him at her words. She was right. He knew she was. "Are you at least gonna chain me up?"

She smiled at him. "Of course. I believe in you, Oz, but I'm not stupid."

He snorted, and shook his head. "Gee, thanks for the confidence."

She grinned at him and stepped out of the tent. "Now I'm going to take a quick bath. I'll be back before sunset. Can you start dinner?"

"As if there's any one else around here who can cook." He said following her out.

She balked at the insult and proceeded to pout.

Oz snickered as he looked at Daryl. "She'd burn chicken noodle soup if you let her."

Buffy's shoulders slumped at Daryl's snort. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up you two." She walked into the forest grumbling the whole way, still hearing the quiet snickering coming from camp.

*o*o*

When Buffy returned to camp Daryl and Oz were eating quietly. She smiled at the both of them, and plopped down onto the sleeping bag Oz was sitting on. She helped herself to what looked like beef stew and took a hearty bite. "God, I feel amazing."

"You smell better too." Oz remarked, biting his lip to stop from laughing. The slap to the side of his head was expected, but he nudged her with his shoulder anyway. "That's it. You've officially lost privileges to sit on my sleeping bag. Now move."

She stuck her tongue out at him, and got up moving to Daryl's side of camp and sitting down. "How you feeling?"

He shrugged, "Better I guess." He held up the bowl he was eating from. "Food helped."

She nodded, wondering how she was going to explain what was going to take place in an hour. She sighed, "Daryl…"

He looked at her questioningly, and she sighed again. "Look there's something I think you should know about… about well us." She paused, biting her lip. "Ugh! I suck at explaining this stuff."

"What Buffy's trying to say is we aren't like normal people." Oz cut in quietly. "But explaining the unbelievable without you thinking we're both completely insane is a lot harder than actually letting you see it for yourself."

Daryl raised his eyebrows at them, and for the first time of being in their company, he began to get nervous. He didn't think they were dangerous, at least not to him, but the way they were speaking. As if he was about to be shown something few in the world knew. They had managed to peak his curiosity though, and he doubted much could make him turn back now.

Oz continued, "In about," he looked at his watch. "Fifteen minutes Buffy's gonna take me out to the woods and chain me to a tree."

Daryl's eyes widened at this and he raised his hands opening his mouth as if to speak. Buffy broke in before he could say anything.

"When the sun sets, you'll understand why."

Daryl looked at them both and didn't see any lying in them, but he had no idea what to say. They both looked at him with curiosity and fear, as if he was about to have a breakdown. Instead he only shrugged, saying "The dead have started getting up an' walkin', There ain't much I won't believe anymore."

Both Buffy and Oz smiled at his statement. Buffy gave Oz her, _I told you so_ , look.

"I think someone owes me some money," Buffy sing-songed.

Oz raised his eyebrow, and took off his shirt off, throwing it at Buffy. "Get over yourself, we didn't bet."

She snorted, "But if we had, I certainly would have won."

His eyes narrowed, "Yeah, but we didn't… Seriously how long are we gonna pass this ten between us. Money isn't a factor anymore. Why do you keep pushing this?"

Buffy snickered, "Because I know how much it irks you."

He couldn't help grinning at her statement. He grabbed his towel and took off his shoes and socks. That was one thing he had always loved about her, the ability to make jokes at the most inappropriate times.

Buffy handed the shirt Oz had given her to Daryl. He took it, and she helped him into it. She walked off after that, coming out of her tent with a duffle bag. She dropped the bag in front of Daryl with a heavy clank. "If you want to understand who we are, first rule is, we're a hell of a lot stronger than we look. Try to lift that."

He did, and almost pulled his back out in the process. Buffy smiled at him, lifting the bag with ease. "Second rule of thumb is, don't believe everything you've been told. The world is not what you thought it was."

"And third rule is." Oz spoke, heading into the woods ahead of them. "Most myths are actually real. Anything that scared you as kid probably wasn't a hallucination."

Buffy then pulled Daryl against her. "So as you now know, if you need to lean on me you can. You won't hurt me."

Daryl took some of the weight off his feet at her words. Walking was painful right now. They made it to where Oz was standing, and she propped Daryl against a tree.

Oz was looking at the large oak in contemplation. "I think this will do."

Buffy walked up to Oz, pushing on the tree with all her strength. It didn't budge. "Yep," Buffy nodded. "This tree will definitely hold you."

Oz undid his jeans, and wrapped the towel around his waist. He undressed the rest of the way, and then nodded. Buffy then began to hook the chain around him. The first one went around his neck. The next two went over his wrists and ankles, and the fourth wrapped around his torso. Just to be sure.

Buffy backed up as she watched the last remnants of sun slip away; she turned her back on Oz and walked up to Daryl. "It will only be a few minutes now. Hold on to my hand. Squeeze as hard as you want."

When the first cream tore from Oz's lips Daryl did grab her hand. Buffy never turned around. She looked at Daryl the whole time, as if she was trying to read every emotion written on his face.

Daryl watched in absolute fascinated horror as the man he had met began to change. The sounds coming from the man were deafening. He heard bones and cartilage snapping, and the whimpers the man was making made up for the sickening sound in spades. When it was almost over Oz's yellow eyes looked up at the sky and he howled so long and so loud he wouldn't be surprised if Rick and his group had heard it.

Buffy waited for his eyes before saying, "When I was fifteen years old a man approached me after school…"

* * *

E/N: Just so everyone's aware this will be an eventual Buffy/Daryl pairing.

Also if anyone is interested I would love some fan art for this story. I would truly be eternally grateful! There is definitely not enough of it on the internet...


	3. Chapter Two

A/N:Thank you so much for your amazing reviews! They really do warm my heart. I was swamped with work last week so never had a chance to respond to them, but I'm getting to them right now. I believe I had a request to have more of this story out by Christmas, and I'm so glad I could make this reviewers holiday. Thank you guys again and Happy Holidays!

Special thanks to my wonderful beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

At some point during Buffy's story, she and Daryl ended up sitting on the ground; he on one side of the tree, her next to him on the other. Their shoulders would brush when Buffy would make a hand gesture.

After she had finished they sat quietly together for a long time. Daryl watched Oz sniff the air. Every once in a while the wolf's head would swing towards the trees and he would growl. "I seen somethin' like him before."

Buffy held her breath waiting for him to continue. "Everyone always thought I was crazy or high." He paused looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "It was a lot smaller, but it looked damn similar. Thought it was a Chupacabra."

Buffy smiled. "I think that's a pretty accurate assessment for someone who didn't know what they were looking at." She shrugged. "If it was as small as you say, you were probably seeing a cub. It's good you didn't try to attack it. If the parent was watching, which I'm sure it was, you probably wouldn't be sitting here with me."

Daryl was silent again for a while. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smirked. "You really blew up your school on graduation day?"

She looked at him blankly for several seconds, blinking owlishly. "Is that all you have to say after everything I've told you?"

He snorted, and his smirk turned into a grin, "You have to admit it's pretty badass… Most kid's dreams I expect."

Buffy chuckled, shaking her head. "If you think that's cool, you shoulda seen me with the rocket launcher."

His eyes widened, and his head turned so fast they almost bumped noses. He stiffened, and turned back around biting on the cuticle of his thumb. He shook his head trying to get the close up image of her eyes out of his head.

Buffy blushed, "Well, Spike's ex, decided to put this really old demon back together." She made a face. "He supposedly couldn't be killed by," And she made air quotes as she said this, "any weapon forged, but I mean it's not like they had C-4 or a Nuclear weapon back in the fourteenth century when this guy first appeared." She shrugged. "So we improvised, broke into the military base and stole a rocket launcher."

"Damn." He said, shaking his head and chuckling. "Did it work?"

She grinned at him. "Well, we're still here aren't we?

He grunted. "Can't imagine a bunch of high school kids breaking into a military base and getting away with it. How old were ya then?"

"Well let's see," She paused thinking about it. "I had already dropped the organ on Spike and broke his back. He was in a wheelchair then. I remember." She bit her lip, thinking harder.

"Oh…" she uttered quietly, her face losing color when she remembered exactly how old she was, and how horrible of a year that had been.

Daryl watched her out of the corner of his eye, saw how her shoulders slumped in defeat and the myriad of emotions that started to play out on her face at the memories.

"I was seventeen." She whispered. Her voice cracking at the lump that formed in her throat. "I know this because my birthday had been a couple days before. Angel… H-he had just lost his soul."

Daryl raised his eyebrow. "Your ex, the cursed vampire?" He shook his head. "How'd that happen?"

She shrugged, looking down and pulling at an imaginary thread on her jeans. Her voice came out baby soft as she said. "The curse can only be broken by a moment of perfect happiness."

Daryl faced her fully then. His eyes widening as the realization of what she wasn't saying hit him. "Jesus girl." He breathed. "Fuck, I'm sorry."

Buffy looked away. "Nothing to be sorry for. It was a long time ago." She got to her feet, brushing off her backside. She wouldn't look at Daryl for a long time, trying to compose herself from the emotions reliving that time always caused her.

"We should head back to camp." She held out her hand finally meeting Daryl's eyes, and helped him to his feet.

"Ain't you worried about your friend?" He asked quietly, gesturing with his head to Oz who was watching them intently now with glowing eyes. He wasn't making much noise and Daryl had a suspicious feeling he was listening to them.

Buffy waved him off and shook her head. "The dead won't mess with him, especially when he's like that." She pointed. "He doesn't smell like food to them."

"Have to admit," Daryl looked behind him one last time. "That's one hell of an asset to have on your side."

Buffy nodded. "That's why we're headed to Alabama. There's a pack we know that live there. That's where my family was headed. That's where my baby sister is."

As they stepped back into camp Buffy headed into her tent. He heard her rustling around for a minute, until she stepped out holding a bottle of Jack Daniels and a backpack. She grinned at him and sat on the sleeping bag, patting the spot next to her. He came and joined her. "I could use a drink, how about you?"

"You sure we're safe out here?" He asked, eyeing their surroundings.

Buffy uncapped it, taking a large swig. She made the most adorable face Daryl had ever seen anyone make while drinking, and nodded. "When we were right outside of Tampa, Oz and me were attacked by some men. I got shot and he turned, ended up getting shot too." She paused taking another drink and making the same face.

"When he howled the walkers that were around us turned around. It wasn't until Oz tore into the men and got covered in their blood that they came back." Buffy shrugged and handed him the bottle. "Like I said, he doesn't smell like food to them and his howl sends them running, or hobbling to be more accurate." She snorted at her own joke, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a large Ziploc stuffed with pictures.

Daryl took a swig of the alcohol as he watched her dig out a handful of photos. "I thought you might like to see my family." She leaned against him a little and he leaned back, feeling a sliver of warmth enter his chest at her touch.

He realized as she handed him the pictures with a warm smile, that he really didn't know what to make of Buffy Summers. She was beautiful, and kind, and so far out of his league she was in a different hemisphere. He didn't know why she had taken such a liking to him, why she had allowed him a glimpse of her world and the knowledge of who she was. He was grateful for it though.

He had a feeling if it had been someone else, someone more like Shane or Merle; she would have helped them, because that's who she was, but he doubted she would have brought them back to her camp and shared such personal information. The thought made him feel good in a way he'd never experienced before. She made him feel special, like he wasn't some dumb piece of redneck trash. It was an exhilarating feeling.

He remembered his dream of Merle. His brother saying everyone thought he was a freak. That everyone was laughing at him. Then his brother's face had faded and there she was. She had saved him from himself. Erased whatever feelings of hopelessness he was having in that moment. Her trust in him was giving him strength he didn't even know he was missing.

"Sorry." She said as he began to flip through the pictures. "When Sunnydale sunk we lost everything. I went picture happy at first. There's a lot of them."

He picked out a picture of her. "You look different here." Her eyes were cold steel in this one, bitter and angry. He felt as if he was looking at a complete stranger compared to the girl currently leaning on him.

She acknowledged the photo with a tilt of her head. "I was." She whispered.

As he flipped through more she pointed out the people she had mentioned before. Willow was a red headed woman with kind green eyes and a nice smile. Xander had dark hair, an eye patch and a goofy grin. Faith looked like the type of women his brother would date. Angel was a dark haired man with a permanent scowl and sad brown eyes. Spike looked like Billy Idol with his leather jacket and bleached hair. Though when he said as much, Buffy was quick to point out that Spike was a hundred and thirty and if he ever met the vamp not to mention it, unless he wanted his ear to fall off from the rant that would follow.

When it got to her Watcher her voice clogged with emotion. "And that's Giles," she said quietly, running her finger down the side of the photos face. "He was the best father I ever had."

"Was?" Daryl asked looking at her. "Before or after?"

"After." She whispered. "I was able to check my voicemail right before cell phones lost their signals." Buffy sighed heavily. "He got bit."

Daryl nodded in understanding, flipping to the next one. A young woman stared back at him. She had large blue eyes and the same nose as Buffy's. "This your sister?"

Buffy smiled lovingly, plucking the picture out of his hand and caressing it. "Yeah, that's Dawnie. Biggest pain in the ass you ever met." Buffy snorted, "But also one of the biggest hearts I have ever known. Smart too. Smarter than I ever was." She gently rubbed her finger along her sister's hair line. "She'd just graduated from Oxford and moved to Rome to start her Watcher training when this all happened."

"I thought the airports were the first thing they closed?"

Buffy smiled. "You underestimate the pull our organization has. We have ties with almost every major government and political party around the globe." She shrugged. "And if all else fails there's always Willow."

She handed him back the photo and Daryl smiled, he couldn't help it. "You love her a lot." He said before flipping the photo to the bottom of the pile.

"I died for her." She whispered, grabbing the bottle from Daryl and taking a large drink. She took another and handed it back to him. She could see the look he was giving her, but that was a story she wasn't going to get into tonight. It was one of the darkest periods in her life. The person she had become after her resurrection, the monster, she didn't even want to think about it.

"You smoke?" She asked, trying to change the subject as she dug through her pack. "I know I have some cigarettes somewhere." Her fingers wrapped around the half empty pack at the bottom of the bag. She pulled it out and tossed him one as she proceeded to light her own. She took a drag, and exhaled, handing Daryl her lighter. "Oz calls me a closet smoker because I only do it when I'm drinking."

Daryl smirked and lit his, picking the stack of pictures back up. He flipped through a few more and Buffy would name off some of the people. Most were girls in their teens. He got to one of Buffy standing on a beach in a light pink sundress, her hair and the fabric billowing out behind her. She had a calm serene look on her face. It was the first picture he had seen where she didn't look like a different person.

"That's my favorite." She said pointing. "I keep it to remind myself." She paused touching the corner. "I don't remember who took it, but I remember how I felt that day. I remember that was the day I decided."

He gave her a questioning look so she continued, lying back on her elbows. "The life I've lived." She looked to the sky watching the few stars she could see through the canopy above. "It takes its toll. I spent such a long time trying to hold everything in, to build all these walls up around me so that I didn't get hurt." She shook her head biting her lip. "It was all such bullshit."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "In the end it doesn't matter how much you try to protect yourself from pain or sorrow or guilt. The reality is you only end up hurting yourself more." She looked at him. "I think in the end it's not just you that breaks but the people around you, the people who love you."

She pointed at the picture. "So on that day I decided to let it all go. I decided I wasn't gonna let myself become the person I was turning into. I decided that my Calling didn't get to choose if I was gonna be happy or not. I decided I had earned the right to smile again. Even if the world went to hell overnight, I wasn't gonna let that emptiness take hold of me ever again."

Daryl took a long pull on the bottle and capped it. "How's that working out for ya'?" He asked passing her the bottle.

She yawned and shook her head, curling up on her side. "It's a work in progress." She yawned again. "Some days are better than others."

She studied the man next to her for a moment. He was handsome in a rugged, outdoorsy sort of way. She could tell he had no problem roughing it. He was proficient with a crossbow, which gave him major points in her book. He definitely wasn't the typical kind of guy she found attractive, but there was definitely something about him she found intriguing.

"So, Daryl, tell me a little about yourself. I've had enough of me for one night." She smiled softly, watching as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Not a lot to tell," He shrugged. "Just your typical redneck trash."

She snorted and pushed his knee. "I think you're too hard on yourself." Buffy shook her head smiling a lazy smile. "That's not what I see at all"

"Yah, and what do you see?" He asked a little too gruffly. Turning his head and watching her eyes close as she tucked her hands under her cheek.

"I see a man who risked his life for a little girl that isn't his." She paused, stifling another yawn and opening her eyes to look at him. "I see a good man, but one who spent a long time trying to convince himself he's not. I see someone brave and strong and honest." Her eyes fluttered shut. "I see…"

Buffy's voice trailed off as her breathing deepened and she fell asleep. Daryl watched her for a long while. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met. The way she spoke, her mannerisms, and how she carried herself was only part of it. He liked the way she thought, how she treated him like he mattered. She said he was a good man. No one ever said that about a Dixon.

He shook his head and uncapped the bottle, downing the rest. He picked up the pictures piled next to him and started looking through them again. He scowled when he saw more pictures of the two vampires, and quickly flipped them to the back of the pile. After going through a few more he found one of Buffy. She had a flower in her hair and her face was turned to the side as she smiled at somebody. He quickly shoved it in his pocket. She might think he was good, but he definitely wasn't perfect.

He put the rest of the pictures back in the Ziploc and went to put them in her backpack when he saw the blanket shoved inside. He pulled it out and draped it over Buffy. He finished putting her pictures away, when he saw the cigarettes and lighter lying next to her. He grabbed one more and lit it, throwing her cigarettes back in the bag. He moved to the other side of camp and lay down on Oz's sleeping bag. He watched Buffy for a long time before he finally fell asleep.

*o*o*

 _'Walkers.  
A Farm.  
A Family.  
A mother loses her daughter.  
A man gone mad over jealous lust.  
A friendship broken.  
A boy losing his innocence.  
A Burning Barn.  
Screaming, crying, pleading.  
So much blood.  
A Prison.  
A daughter loses her mother.  
A father loses his wife.  
A son loses his mother.  
A good man loses his mind.  
Help Them!'_

Buffy sat up with a gasp, trembling and covered in sweat. Shaky hands reached for her pack and she unzipped the front pouch, yanking out her dream journal. She flipped it open and began to write furiously across the page, tears forming in her eyes.

Daryl was startled awake by her gasp. He sat up watching her with concerned blurry eyes. "You alright?"

She held up a finger as she continued to write. "Give me a minute. I need to write down everything I saw."

"You psychic too, or something?" He asked running his hand down his face and lying back down.

"I'm not a seer if that what you mean, but I do get prophetic dreams." She continued writing, having to swallow the bile that rose in her throat from everything she just saw.

"They're usually messages or warnings from the pricks that run this dimension. Considering I haven't had one in months, I'm guessing this little apocalypse we're having wasn't exactly scheduled on their time table." She reread what she had just written, making sure it all made sense. "Apparently they finally pulled their heads out of their asses." She tossed the journal at him. "You know anyone on there?"

Daryl caught the notebook, his eyes widening in horror as he read. "You sure?"

"I've never been wrong before." She said gathering up the blanket and shoved it into her bag.

Light began to filter in through the trees around them. Buffy grabbed the towel and Oz's clothes. "I'm gonna go get Oz so he can sleep a few hours while I pack up. After that I think you're gonna need to take me to this farm you're staying at."

Daryl reread the notebook one more time. It had everyone's names from his group written down with a brief description next to each one. He grinned when he saw Shane's name with psychotic written in parentheses next to it. He frowned when he saw Lori's had pregnant in capital letters and exclamation marks next to it. He read on, feeling like he was dreaming at the level of accuracy with each description. What scared him though, what really frightened him, were the words written at the bottom of the page.

 _'Hundreds of walkers leaving Atlanta, heading right for them.'_

*o*o*

165 miles away Faith awoke with a start. She was breathing heavily and shaking. She looked around her cabin, running shaky hands through her sweat soaked hair. She sighed heavily, forcing herself to get out of bed, strapping on her weapons in the process. As she headed out to go find Rona, the girl was already headed her way.

"Did you…?"

"Yep." Faith finished.

Rona sighed. "Looks like were not alone in this after all." She paused. "You felt her too, right?"

"Oh yah." Faith nodded. "When we're all tapped in like that you can't help but feel her."

"So it's confirmed then. Buffy's alive." Rona stated.

"It's what I been saying the whole time. If she was dead, Red woulda felt it."

"Someone needs to tell Dawn." Rona said.

"I'll do it." Faith said grabbing onto the nearby rope ladder. "I'm assuming we all got our own mission on that one. Be prepared to move out in an hour. Looks like the Powers want us to start saving people."

Vi popped her head over the railing above as Faith started to climb. "Faith did you…?"

"Yep, I'm on my way to tell little D now." She got to the top and vaulted over. "Do me a favor; go tell Thomas to be expecting more company. Looks like Buffy's gonna be delayed a little longer, but I have a feeling she ain't coming alone."

"On it." Vi said, hopping the railing and sliding down the ladder.

As Faith walked the platform high in the trees, she spotted Micah. "Yo, you seen Dawn?"

Micah turned and nodded, "I just saw her heading to the lab with Willow and Rose. Everything all right?"

"Yah," Faith said, heading towards the rope line that would allow her to cross to where Dawn was. "We just had our first Slayer dream in a while. Figured she would want to know her sis is alive."

"Any word on Oz?" He asked, helping her secure her foot into the rope.

"She didn't feel alone if that helps, besides that I couldn't tell either way." Faith pushed off the platform and swung over to the one adjoining it. She landed gracefully, tying the rope onto the railing, and opened the cabin door.

Dawn was, as usual, nose deep in an ancient book as she took notes on a pad next to her. They had been trying to find any type of mystical cure that could help with the insanity that lived outside their gates. Unfortunately they hadn't had much success, but Dawn was determined to make a breakthrough. After everything that happened in Scotland and all the guilt she felt for having to shove a sword through Kennedy's head, she refused to give up.

Willow walked out of the storage room, followed closely behind by Rose and both stopped short at the sight of the Slayer. "Faith," Willow said, surprised to see the other woman. Research wasn't exactly her forte after all.

Dawn stopped what she was doing and looked up expectantly at the brunette Slayer. "Everything alright?"

Faith nodded, smiling at all of them. "We all just had a Slayer dream."

Dawn stood, her eyes wide, tears already gathering in them. "I-is s-she."

"She's alive." Faith confirmed.

Dawn fell back in her chair. The emotion, the relief, everything she had been holding in since this all started came out in one chest rattling sob. "O-oh, thank the gods!"

Willow walked over to the young brunette, putting her arms around her as her own eyes began to weep happy tears. "I knew she would be all right." She whispered in her ear. "It would take a lot more than this to kill your sister."


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: Thank you so much everyone for you're amazing reviews! I appreciate every single one! Keep them coming!

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter Three

On the ground level of the camp, Faith stood next to a picnic table covered in maps. She scanned them, using a red sharpie to circle different states and the towns within them. "Okay, so looks like Leslie, Teresa, Rowena, and Shannon will be heading to Mississippi." She looked around until she spotted Dana and Joanne. "You two got Arkansas right?"

The girls each gave her a thumbs up, so Faith continued. "I want you guys with Leslie until you need to split, and I want Jess going with you too. We aren't taking any chances on this." She looked around until she spotted Jamie and Alexia. "Same goes for you two. You take Sarah with you to Tennessee."

Faith looked around at the rest of the girls. "Okay, now who's local?"

The remaining six girls raised their hands. Faith nodded, figuring as much. "So here's how we're gonna play this." She said, rubbing her temple. She hated doing this and could feel a headache coming on. Being in charge, the one responsible for sending so many of them out with the definite risk they may not come back sucked.

"Nadia, Michelle, and Daphne you three take first watch. I want three Slayers in the encampment at all times. Chao-ahn, Laura, and Kat once you bring back your people, you switch roles with the other three." She sighed. "We keep this place safe at all cost. If we don't have somewhere safe to take people, savin' them is a waste of time."

Rona, Cori, and Vi were waiting for her and she tossed her sharpie on the table and walked over. "You guys about ready?"

Before the girls could answer, Micah walked up. "I'm coming with you."

Faith thought about protesting, she really did, but the determination on the tall brunette's face dissuaded her. He'd been an asset to them even before the world started to fall apart, and she knew he could handle himself. She sighed, and nodded. "You got ten minutes. If you ain't ready, we leave without you."

He grinned, running over to the side of a nearby cabin and hoisting a large hiking pack onto his back. Faith rolled her eyes as she watched him. The dude definitely wasn't stupid.

He walked passed them, grinning like a fool. "Well come on ladies! You're movin' like molasses!"

Faith snickered, as did the other girls. She stuck two fingers between her lips and whistled so loudly everyone in the camp froze.

"Alright listen up!" She barked. "A lot of us are headin' into unknown territory here. We don't know what's gonna happen, or how many walkers we're gonna face." She paused and scanned her eyes over everyone. "If you find yourself in a situation where you are overrun, I want you to pull back."

She held up her hand to forestall the instant protests that started to ring out at her words. "I know that's a hard thing to take after what some of us saw in our dreams," She sighed, "But the world needs us right now more than it ever did. You get in trouble, you pull back!"

Faith looked around at the Slayers that meant so much to her and Buffy. She swallowed hard before saying, "Let's move!"

*o*o*

They had been walking through the woods for some time when Buffy noticed Daryl favoring his side. She slowed her pace a bit until she was walking beside him. "Need some help?"

"Ya," He grimaced, "A little."

Oz also slowed his pace as Daryl wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulder. "I think you may have torn a stitch." He commented, coming up on Daryl's other side. "You're bleeding again."

Daryl looked down at the front of the shirt he borrowed from Oz, checking for blood stains. When he saw none, he looked at the redhead in confusion. "How the hell you know that?"

Oz shrugged and tapped his nose. "I can smell it."

Daryl shook his head frowning. "Is that how you're gonna help us find Sophia?"

Oz nodded in response. "I'll need something of hers though. Something with her sent on it."

Daryl bit his lip in contemplation. He had lost Sophia's doll sometime yesterday, most likely when he fell. He knew he could get something of hers from Carol; it was just a matter of how he was going to explain it. Which brought him to another worry; how the hell he was going to talk Rick and the others into accepting Buffy and Oz?

If it was just Rick, he was sure he could get the other man to listen with no problem. But with Shane constantly pissing on all of Rick's decisions, Daryl had a feeling this was going to be a lot harder than he first thought. He wasn't worried about Buffy leaving. She'd already said if she and Oz couldn't stay on the farm she would camp outside the property until they needed her, but he didn't want that. He didn't want that at all.

She was… He realized the only word he could use to describe her was, a friend. It was strange. He could honestly say she was the first person he ever felt that way about, and it happened so fast. He wasn't sure if it was her kindness towards him, or the fact that she made talking to her so easy. He just knew he wanted her to remain in his life for as long as possible.

He liked Oz too. Dude was quiet with a pretty laid back attitude considering what he was. Being around them was peaceful, Daryl realized. They didn't ask stupid questions, or try to get him to talk more than he wanted. When they did speak to him, they actually asked his opinion on things like he actually mattered. Not like some of the people in his group; the ones who snickered behind his back, or treated him like he didn't exist at all. They thought he didn't hear them talk, but he did. Normally he wouldn't give two shits, but considering he was putting the food on their dinner table and helping search for a lost little girl, he figured that might gain him at least a small amount of respect. _'Guess not. Fucking assholes.'_

Next to Carol, Rick was the only one Daryl could tolerate for any length of time; but he could admit that Rick saying he didn't owe them anything the other day annoyed the shit out of him. Like he was some kind of asshole who would only look for Sofia if he thought he owed them something. The kid was lost and alone, of course he would help find her. He supposed it didn't help that in the beginning they hadn't gotten off on the best foot, but that didn't mean he liked the silent judgments.

He knew Rick was a good man though; an honest one. He just hoped the man made the right decision when it came to trusting Buffy and Oz.

As if she was reading his mind Buffy's voice pulled him from his musing. "So what exactly are we gonna tell your group?"

Daryl shrugged. "Really don't care what you tell the others, but… I don't know. I'm startin' to think you should tell Rick the truth."

Buffy chewed on his words for a minute. "You think he can handle it?"

Daryl nodded. "Man woke up from a coma to find the world had ended. Can't imagine there's anythin' more shockin' than that."

Oz cut in then. "There's just one small problem. How are we gonna prove it, because as much as I just love going all furry. I am not doing that again until I absolutely have too."

Daryl thought about it a moment, then looked down at Buffy. "You said you're stronger than you look. How strong?"

Buffy shrugged. "I've never actually tested it." She bit her lip thinking, and shrugged again. "I can flip a car over pretty easy."

Daryl tripped, and if Buffy hadn't been holding him he would have fallen on his face. "A-a car?" He said looking at her in disbelief.

She looked away bashfully. "Yeah."

He was silent for a long time. "Well damn." He looked at Oz. "That's our proof."

Oz watched the two for a minute as they walked ahead of him. He wondered if either of them realized it. He had noticed it this morning when he got back to camp. The fleeting glances they would send each other when they thought the other wasn't looking.

In the five years Oz had been with Buffy, he had never seen her act this way. She didn't date. As far as he knew Buffy hadn't been with a man since Spike, and that was almost nine years ago. He asked her about it once, and she jokingly replied that she took a vow of celibacy.

As he watched Daryl he wondered if the guy had ever had a girlfriend before. He seemed even more oblivious than Buffy. He didn't look at her like most men interested in someone; not that he didn't look, because he did. It was just more innocent. It was less of a, I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off look, and more of a, I-can't-believe-how-amazing-you-are look. He wondered if Daryl even realized he was falling. In some ways he reminded Oz of himself back when he saw Willow for the first time, but it seemed like Daryl had never had that experience before. Like the guy had nothing to base what he was feeling off of. So he didn't even realize what it was.

"We're getting close." Daryl said.

About five minutes later they broke through the tree line on Hershel's property. They heard the shouts of several people, and four of them came running all armed with weapons. Rick took up the front, his gun raised. He looked at the three new comers in confusion.

"Daryl?" Rick's eyes traveled to the young blonde women's and then to the young man's. He looked back at Daryl, still not quite understanding what was going on.

"Rick." Daryl acknowledged. "Was wonderin' if you missed me?" He stepped forward and Buffy moved with him making sure he didn't put his full weight on his injured side.

It was then Rick realized he was hurt. "What happened?"

"Fuckin' horse threw me, landed on one of my arrows." He responded gruffly. "Buffy here found me."

"Buffy?" Rick said raising an eyebrow and looking at the small blonde woman.

She eyed the men warily. She didn't like the look the man she identified as Shane was giving her. She had a feeling if it was his choice he would have shot first and asked questions later. There was something about him, something that reminded her of Faith when she had thrown her allegiances in with the Mayor and tried to kill them all. She was going to have to keep her eye on him. She didn't want what she had seen in her dream to come true. She just hoped it wasn't too late for him.

Rick and the other two men were wary of her and Oz, but that was a given. She hadn't been expecting a warm welcome, especially in the times they lived in. She made sure to keep her hands where everyone could see them, which wasn't hard considering she was holding Daryl up. She didn't need to check on Oz to know he was doing the same.

"Nice to meet you sir." Buffy responded quietly.

Rick gave the young women a nod. "Where'd you find him?"

"About six miles from here, at the bottom of a gully near our camp." She shrugged looking up at Daryl. "He was hurt pretty bad. Thought he had a concussion at first. I brought him back to our camp, patched him up, and fed him."

She heard Oz and Daryl's snort of disbelief and shot both of them a glare. "Okay fine. Let me rephrase that. I patched Daryl up and Oz fed him." Buffy's eyes narrowed at the grin Oz was sporting. "And I want to thank you by the way, for telling every person we have ever met how horrible of a cook I am"

Oz's grin widened even further. "It's not just that you're a bad cook Buffy, it's how spectacularly bad you are. I'm only doing the world a service so no one dies from botulism."

"I'm going to get you back for this." She promised. "Just you wait and see." She looked back at the men and noticed amusement on all their faces. They all seemed to visibly relax at her and Oz's bantering.

It was Rick who stepped forward first, putting his gun away and extending his hand. "Rick. Rick Grimes."

"Buffy Summers." She said, shaking his hand with her free one. "And the annoying short ginger over there is Daniel Osbourne, but everyone just calls him Oz."

Now the men were all smiling, as Rick proceeded to shake Oz's hand. "Well we certainly do thank you for bringing Daryl back in one piece. We were just getting ready to go look for him."

"It wasn't a problem." Buffy answered even though the statement was directed at Oz. "Saving people is kinda what I do."

They all gave her a funny look at that, but she didn't elaborate. "So you got somewhere I can take Daryl? He thinks he tore one of his stitches. I should probably check him."

At that Rick asked. "You a doctor?"

Buffy shook her head. "Oh god no! I've just been through intensive survival training." It wasn't a complete lie. All Slayers were required to take survival courses. She just hadn't actually learned how to suture a wound that way.

They all gave her a look of surprise, but it was Shane who spoke up this time. "Well damn girl, you don't even look like you're out of high school yet."

Buffy grinned. She couldn't help it. She knew how young she looked to people. Her age always surprised them. She hadn't aged much since her resurrection. Willow had chalked it up to the amount of magic that had gone through her during the spell, and also the fact that Buffy had come back a little more Slayer than human.

"I'm actually twenty-nine, but thanks for the compliment." She said in amusement, as disbelief crossed everyone's face. "Now, if you don't mind, we really should have your man here looked at."

The men looked at each other for a long moment before Rick nodded, and turned to lead them towards the house. "If it's all the same to you Buffy, I'd like Hershel to take a look as well. He's the owner of this farm and also a Doctor."

Buffy smiled politely at Rick and nodded. "I think that would be just fine."

As Buffy helped Daryl up to the house and met Hershel. Glen walked up besides Oz and extended his hand. "Name's Glen."

"Oz." He said shaking his hand.

"So where are you guys from?" Glen asked.

"Originally, California." Oz said smiling as Glen led him over to meet the others in the group.

*o*o*

"Miss Summers." Hershel said, as he repaired the torn stitches while Rick and Daryl discussed the doll he had found, and the search they would be conducting later that day. "You did a fine job on these stitches if I do say so myself."

Buffy smiled. "Thank you Mr. Greene."

He looked at her curiously. "It seems you've had to do this sort of thing often to be so proficient at it."

Buffy looked at Daryl for a moment. This was the story her and Oz had decided to tell people if they ran into anyone who got to curious about them. "Oz and I spent the last five years studying wildlife. When you've spent as much time in the wilderness as we have, you tend to pick up on a thing or two."

That seemed to appease the elderly man's curiosity, and he nodded in understanding. He finished his work, and began to pack up his equipment. "Well Miss Summers, you and your friend are more than welcome to stay here a few days. You've definitely earned a reprieve from the road after saving a man's life."

"Thank you Sir."

"You can call me Hershel." The elderly man then turned back toward Daryl and narrowed his eyes. "Any idea what happened to my horse?"

"Yeah, the one who almost killed me? If it's smart, it left the country." Daryl said in his gravelly voice.

Hershel shook his head and frowned in disapproval. "We call that one Nelly, as in 'Nervous Nelly'. I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask."

As he walked out, he looked at Rick. "It's a wonder you people have survived this long."

Rick looked down scratching the back of his head in thought. After a few moments he looked up at the blonde woman. "Daryl tells me you're gonna help us find Sophia."

Buffy smiled and nodded. "That's right. I'm a decent tracker myself, though Oz puts just about everyone I know to shame when it comes to that skill."

Buffy looked at Daryl out of her eye and saw him quietly watching the exchange. His gruff voice filled the air the next second and he looked at Rick. "There's somethin' else Rick, somethin' you need to know."

He looked at Buffy and nodded. "There's somthin' Buffy needs to show you out on the highway."

She bit her lip and looked at Rick fully, noticing the way he was eyeing her suspiciously. She fidgeted a bit under his scrutiny but kept quiet.

"Would you mind giving me and Daryl a minute?"

Her eyes slid between them both for a moment, before she nodded her head and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

*o*o*

Daryl eyed Rick for a long while before he spoke. "What aren't you telling me?"

"If I told you now, you wouldn't believe me. You're just gonna have to see it yourself."

Rick raised his eyebrows, and sat in the nearby chair. "You're asking me to take a lot on faith here. I don't even know these people."

"And I'm asking you to trust me." Daryl shot back. "Buffy and Oz…" He thought about how to word what he was going to say without giving too much away. "They're special. It's not somthin' I can just explain. If I tried you'd think I'm crazier than a shit house rat." He looked at Rick a long moment. "I wouldn't do anythin' to hurt the group and I know you know that. Having them here… it's important. It's…"

"Alright." Rick said holding up his hands in defeat. "What exactly am I supposed to tell the others? You know how Shane can be."

Daryl shrugged. "Oz mentioned they had a truck out on the highway and that they had to leave some supplies behind."

Rick nodded. "That will work." He stood to leave, pausing at the door. "We're glad you're back."

*o*o*

When Rick stepped out of the house he spotted Buffy by the RV laughing at something Dale was saying. He walked over to them clearing his throat. "You about ready?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Let me just grab a weapon and we can go."

She ran up into the RV where Dale was storing her weapons for her, and grabbed her holster and scythe. She noticed her journal and grabbed that too and shoved it into the waistband of her jeans. As she stepped back out she noticed Rick and Shane in a heated debate.

"I'm only going up to the highway. They have some supplies we could use and another truck. I'll be gone two hours tops." Rick whispered loudly.

"Man, you don't even know these people." Shane barked, and everyone in the camp looked at him.

"Shane." Rick warned. "They saved Daryl's life. I think if they were really that dangerous they wouldn't have bothered."

"Whatever, that methed out hillbilly's probably in on it."

"That's enough." A woman with short graying hair said. "He almost died tryin' to find my little girl."

Buffy looked at Dale as she listened to the woman tear into Shane for even suggesting Daryl would do something to endanger the group. "Do you think if I knocked him on his ass that would help?"

Dale turned to her with amusement flashing in his eyes. "I think you might actually make things a whole lot worse."

Buffy sighed, and pouted a bit. "Yeah, you're probably right."

She watched as Shane stormed off, and Rick approached her. She felt bad for the guy. She knew first hand exactly what he was going through. Being a leader was a real bitch sometimes. It's one of the reasons she had decided to go with Oz. She didn't want to be a leader anymore. It'd been slowly killing her.

"Ready?"

Buffy nodded and followed Rick over to a Ford Ranger.

*o*o*

They drove in silence for a while, before Rick finally spoke. "So what is it that you need to show me?"

Buffy chewed on her lip, and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "I'll show you when we get there. It's too hard to explain otherwise."

He looked a bit annoyed at her cryptic response, but he kept quiet the rest of the way. As he pulled on to the highway it wasn't long until they hit the traffic snarl and Rick stopped. Buffy got out of the truck first, and Rick followed after. She walked over to an old station wagon and looked back at Rick.

"You might wanna hold on to something. I don't want you passing out on me." He just looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

Buffy shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Rick watched in amusement as Buffy hooked her hands under the undercarriage of the car. That is until she actually lifted it on to its side. He stepped back, almost tripping in the process. "Wh-What? H-How?"

She stepped towards him and he stepped back again. So she held up her hands and leaned against a nearby car. "I'm a Vampire Slayer."

"A-a what?" Rick said swallowing, still trying to come to terms with what his eyes had just seen.

"I wasn't lying when I said saving people is kinda my thing. That's what I do. That's what I've done since I was fifteen." She sighed. "How does the riff go? Giles was always better at this than I ever was." She paused for a moment taking a breath, before reciting. "Into every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer." Buffy shrugged "She is me, except I'm not the only one anymore. About eight years ago we decided to change the rules."

Rick shook his head in disbelief. "So you're like some kind of monster police."

Buffy raised her eyebrows and grinned. "I've never heard it put quite like that, but I suppose we are. Though, we don't usually capture our bad guys as a general rule. It's kinda pointless with soulless demons." She shrugged. "For the most part."

He watched her for a long moment before saying. "Are you planning on hurting us?"

Buffy's eyes widened in surprised. "If I wanted to hurt any of you, I would have already. I try not to kill humans Rick. I'm not saying I haven't, because if you attack me or mine I will, but that doesn't mean I like doing it."

Rick nodded in understanding. That was something he could relate too. "So if you're not here to hurt us."

"I'm here to protect you." She finished. "There's something else you should know. I also have prophetic dreams. I had one about you and your group last night." She reached behind her and pulled her journal out, tossing it to him.

He opened it until he saw the page with their names on it. He looked up in surprise after he read his wife's name. "Lori, S-she's pregnant?"


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Thank you so much everyone for you're reviews! Keep them coming!

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter Four

Buffy followed Rick's truck onto the farm, pulling up next to him as he parked. She watched him climb out of the vehicle pale faced and shaky. He eyed Oz for a minute, before passing him and heading toward the house. As she got out of her truck, Oz approached Buffy.

"Everything go okay?" He asked.

She looked at him for a long minute, then shrugged. "The best we could expect for someone who has never dealt with this stuff before."

Oz nodded in understanding. "You wanna go look for Sophia?" Oz held up a Ziploc with a little girl's shirt in it. "Daryl must have talked to Carol, because she brought this to me."

Buffy bit her lip and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Rick showed me where they first lost her, figure we'd start there." She walked around to the back of the truck and opened the tailgate. "We should unload this stuff first though."

"Good idea." Oz agreed.

*o*o*

Rick walked into the room Daryl was in, closing the door behind him. The men stared at each other for a long while, before Rick finally let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "This is real?"

Daryl gave a slight nod, biting on the cuticle of his thumb. He watched Rick move across the room and sit heavily in the chair next to the bed.

Rick wiped his hand down his face, trying in vain to wrap his head around what he'd just witnessed. Hysterical laughter was his first response at the thought of what he'd been told. This was the world they lived in now.

It hadn't just been watching Buffy lift that car. They ran across a few Walkers while they were out there. Rick had never seen anyone move so quickly with so little effort. It was almost like she could bend the laws of physics with her body. He shook his head, looking at the Hunter. "Did she tell you about her dream?"

Daryl nodded again. "I was there when she woke up."

Rick leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling a minute. "How do you know she wasn't lying?"

Daryl raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean after watchin' her friend change into a Werewolf? How about, I didn't tell her anyone's name or about the farm? She just knew."

That seemed to surprise Rick. "You didn't?"

"Come on man. I ain't that stupid." Daryl shrugged. "Was gonna tell her though, after I found out what she was. It just hadn't come up yet."

Rick chewed on that a moment before asking. "So you really believe she can protect us?"

"I don't believe. I know she can." Daryl said with conviction.

Rick shook his head. "How the hell can you be so sure?"

Daryl ran a hand through his hair, almost looking sheepish. "Spent most of the night with her; told me a lot about herself, is all. Showed me pictures of her family and shit too." He shrugged. "She's been doin' this a long time. Protecting people; it's what she does."

Rick sighed and shook his head. "You know about Lori?"

Daryl hesitated a moment, before nodding.

Rick swallowed hard. "Haven't said anything to her, I-I don't even know if she suspects yet."

Daryl remained silent, not really knowing what to say. He felt bad for the guy. He honestly wouldn't know what to do with himself if that happened to him, especially with the way they lived now.

"And hundreds of Walkers are coming for us." Rick added. "I thought this place would be safe for us. I thought… I don't know, maybe we could have a life here." Rick shook his head. "And now knowing Lori's pregnant and what's coming, maybe we should just move on, head to Fort Benning like we planned."

Daryl shook his head. "Buffy won't leave without Hershel and his family, and we can't leave. Not without Sophia."

Rick studied Daryl a long time. Finally realizing what he had been too occupied to notice until now. Daryl had feelings for the blonde woman. "What's going on with you and this girl?"

Daryl's eyebrows shot up in confusion at the question. "Huh?"

"Well, it's just…" Rick shook his head. "Never mind, just be careful okay."

Now he was looking at Rick like he'd lost his mind. "Alright."

Rick got up and gripped Daryl's shoulder. "Get some rest. I'll have Carol bring you up some dinner later."

He nodded at Rick and watched him leave. _'What the hell was he talkin' about?'_

*o*o*

Buffy and Oz walked through the woods in silence. Oz caught Sophia's scent a while ago and they were following the trail; both of them deep in thought. Buffy was wondering how Rick was handling everything. He had taken her little revelation pretty well all things considered, but she knew firsthand how much of a shock to the system the truth could be.

She was also curious about the others. She had only spoken to everyone briefly, but had taken an instant liking to Dale and Glen. It seemed Oz did too from what she had seen of their interactions. T-Dog seemed nice too, but he mostly kept to himself. The women had all been kind to her during the introductions, but it was still a bit early to tell if they were just being polite. Shane pretty much steered clear of her since his blowup at Rick, which was most likely for the best. Buffy just hoped she could find a way to talk some sense into the douche, before he got himself killed.

Her mind wandered to Daryl and a soft smile graced her lips. He was really rather sweet for a guy with such a tough exterior. She had woken up this morning draped in the blanket she had planned to let him use, and all her stuff was put away. _'Almost dies looking for a little girl and makes sure I stay warm after I pass out, yeah definitely sweet.'_

She wondered idly about the scars adorning his chest and back, and caught herself getting irrationally angry at the person that did that to him. They were quite old, probably from when he was just a boy. She had seen similar marks before on some of her Slayers, the ones who had come from abusive homes, though Buffy could admit the worst she had ever seen covered Dana's body. The abuse that girl endured at the hands of that mad man Walter Kindel, well, it really was a wonder she could function at all. It had taken years to bring her back to any kind of semblance of reality, and even that was pushing it. The girl lived in her own mind most of the time, and the only people Dana ever let get close to her was Joanne or herself.

Buffy sighed, shaking the morose thoughts out of her head. She wondered how Daryl was doing. He was probably bored to tears up in that room all by himself. She certainly would be if she was laid up. She and Oz had a few books in their packs. Maybe she would bring him one later. He didn't seem like much of a reader, but she'd learned over the last five years that you take whatever entertainment you can get. Buffy smiled at the prospect of spending some more time with him. She looked up and noticed Oz giving her a funny look.

"What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you heard anything I've said?" Oz asked, shaking his head in exasperation.

Buffy smiled sheepishly at him, and Oz rolled his eyes. "I said; you know there's Walkers in the barn, right?"

"Oh," Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I felt them as soon as we stepped on the farm." She shrugged. "I think Hershel never got the memo that the Walkers are actually dead. He doesn't really strike me as the type to use them for nefarious reasons, you know?"

"Yeah," Oz agreed. "I had the same thought." He paused. "When the others find out it's not gonna be pretty."

Buffy sighed. "I know. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

Oz nodded in understanding. The last thing they needed was to get on the Greene's bad side right away. He watched Buffy for a minute, before finally asking the other thing on his mind. "So…What's up with you and the Hunter?"

Buffy stopped, looking at Oz in complete confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Oz leaned against a nearby tree and crossed his arms, watching her with his sharp blue eyes. "Come on Buffy, not only do I have preternatural senses, but I've known you since high school. I can honestly say I have never seen you act like this before." Buffy opened her mouth to object and Oz held up his hand to forestall her. "Granted, I wasn't around when you and Angel first got together, but I don't ever remember you smiling to yourself like that before."

Buffy bit her lip, and looked at the ground, kicking at the dirt with the tip of her boot. "I just think he's nice."

Oz snorted at how much she looked like a little girl at the moment. "Yeah keep telling yourself that." He shook his head. "Look, I'm not Willow or Xander, so we don't need to have a meeting about your love life, it's yours…"

"I have a feeling there's a, _but_ , in there somewhere." She cut in rolling her eyes.

"But," Oz continued, giving Buffy an annoyed look at her interruption. "You're gonna need to take this slow. I don't think Daryl's all too experienced with girls."

Buffy barked a laugh at that, shaking her head in disbelief. "Come on Oz, this is me remember?" She said throwing her hands up. "You know, the girl who has had a total of three relationships in her whole life, and the last one will be going on ten years ago. Trust me. I have no intention of jumping the guy's bones anytime soon. In fact I wasn't even thinking of him like that until you brought it up. So thanks for that."

"Are you done?" He asked, watching as her eyes narrowed on him. It been a long time since they had a true argument, and he didn't want to have one now. "You're misunderstanding me. I don't mean he hasn't had many relationships, Buffy. I mean he's never been in love before."

All the wind seemed to leave her sails at that moment, and she stared at Oz a long time. "Huh?"

"It's just a vibe I get off him." Oz said shaking his head. "He doesn't look at you like a man looks at a woman. He looks at you like a boy who just got his first Christmas gift. It's innocent, Buffy. Like he doesn't realize what he's feeling, but he's definitely feeling it."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "He's feeling?"

Oz grinned. "Oh yeah, you of all people know how sensitive I am to this stuff. He definitely gives off a territorial scent when he's around you. His face and eyes just don't match the pheromones he's giving off." Oz shrugged, a sympathetic look coming over him. "My guess is, when he realizes what he's feeling he's gonna freak pretty hardcore."

Buffy sighed. "Oh, this is ridiculous. I just met him Oz, and yes I'll admit he's the first guy I've had a real connection with since the disaster that was me and Spike, but I'm not looking to have a serious relationship with anyone until I get to know them." She crossed her arms and shrugged. "We probably have nothing in common anyway."

Oz shook his head, giving her a disbelieving look. "Oh really, how about the fact you're both scared to death of love?" Buffy opened her mouth, but Oz cut her off. "Look, that was uncalled for. Even though you and I both know it's the truth, but I didn't say it because I was trying to hurt you. I said it because you deserve to take a chance with someone, you deserve a little bit of happy, Buffy. I think after almost ten years you've more than made up for whatever the hell it is you've been punishing yourself for."

Buffy sucked in a sharp breath, as tears sprang to her eyes. "Y-You w-wouldn't understand."

"I already do." Oz said quietly. "I saw it on both of your faces when we first approached Team Dead for help. I don't need to know what the details are, but I know that whatever happened between you and Spike screwed both of you up to the point that it wasn't until last year that you two stopped looking at each other with shame and regret. I'm guessing you two finally talked about it."

Buffy looked down, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We could never get back together." She whispered sniffling. "Just like me and Angel never could. I think you can only hurt someone so much before you hit a point of no return."

Oz nodded stepping forward. "I can understand that."

Buffy hugged herself tighter. "Every man I have ever let get close I've hurt Oz. I've destroyed them. I can't put someone through that again."

"Can I ask you something?" At Buffy's small nod, he continued. "You don't actually still blame yourself for Angel's soul do you?"

Buffy met his eyes, and gave a bitter watery laugh. "Well, what do you expect Oz, my love is capable of ripping a man's soul from his chest and almost ending the world."

"Yeah," Oz agreed. "But your love is also capable of sending a demon to find his soul, and regardless of the circumstances. He did save the world because of it." Oz paused, watching as her lower lip began to tremble. He stepped up to her looking in her eyes, trying to convey how serious he was about this. She needed to understand she wasn't some kind of man eating succubus. "Buffy your love is not a curse. It's a blessing."

She collapsed in his arms in that moment, large sobs racking her body. "Hey now," he hushed her, rubbing slow circles into her back. "It's okay." He sighed. "This is why I never brought it up before. I could never find a time where you wouldn't make a pun or joke. I've wanted to say something for a while now. But I guess… I guess I was just too afraid to see you like this, but I think this is something you really gotta face. It just took me seeing you become interested in someone to finally get me to say something." He paused and hugged her tighter, as she laid her head on his shoulder. "But I will never be like Willow and Xander are. I love you too much to ever ask you to put anything before your happiness.

Buffy sniffled into his shirt, shaking her head. "I could never ask for a better big brother." She was silent for a while. "You know I love you too, right?"

"I know." He looked down at her smiling softly. "Hey, let's call it a day alright. It's starting to get dark anyway."

*o*o*

They'd just had a large dinner, the women of Rick's group cooking for everyone. It was a very nice gesture, but it felt awkward and forced for the most part. Buffy was glad it was over.

She knew the others were just trying to be polite and they were all curious about her and Oz, but having to be so evasive about some of her answers was absolutely exhausting. She hadn't needed to play secret-identity-girl since Sunnydale and she honestly didn't know how she had ever been able to do it before.

She could hear Oz out on the porch entertaining the others with the guitar Glen had mentioned at dinner, and for that she was grateful. It had given her an opportunity to escape without seeming rude. She had slipped out and gotten a few books for Daryl to choose from, and was now on her way up to the room he was staying in. She tapped lightly on the door, before opening it.

"Hey." She said shyly, stepping inside.

"Hey." Daryl said quietly in his gruff baritone, watching as she leaned her back against the doorjamb.

"How you feeling?" Buffy asked, smiling softly at the way he was curled up on his side like a little boy.

He shrugged in response, asking. "Any word on Sophia?"

Buffy nodded. "Oz caught her scent, so we're definitely on the right track." She pushed off the wall, coming over and sitting on the corner of the mattress by his feet. "We covered a lot of ground today before it started getting dark. We're going back out first thing tomorrow morning."

Daryl nodded, scooting over a bit to make room for her. He noticed the books she was hugging to her chest and he gestured at them. "What ya' got there?"

"Oh." She blushed, and Daryl found himself wondering why. "I thought you might like something to read. I figured you were pretty bored up here." She handed him two books to choose from, laying the one she planned on reading next to her. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I guessed."

He read the titles. "Thanks," He said. "Don't usually read much though." He noticed the book sitting next to her and nodded at it. "What's that one?"

"Oh, well…" Her blush deepened. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me reading in here with you." She shrugged, looking down and fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "It's quieter up here."

He smiled at her. "You ain't hidin' are ya'?"

Buffy looked up and smiled. "Maybe a little. Your friends are great, they really are, but I don't like lying to them, and when I'm put on the spot I'm a horrible liar."

Daryl shook his head, smirk turning into a smile. "I doubt that. I 'magine with what you do, you've had to lie a lot."

Buffy snorted. "Oh, really? I once told my principle that the gym at Hemery got burned down because of smoking mice."

He gave a full throated laugh at that. "You're kiddin'?"

She giggled for a moment. "I'm really not." She paused, studying him. "You have a nice laugh; you should do it more often."

He seemed to sober at that, looking away for a moment. "If you wanna read go ahead, but you may as well read out loud. I ain't gonna sit here and watch ya' read, and I won't be able to do it myself with you sittin' there."

Her eyes widened, and her face turned beet red. "Well give me one of yours then, because I'm not reading this one to you."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at her. "Why not?"

"Daryl ," Buffy said in exasperation. "It's a romance."

He shrugged. "So? I figured it was."

She looked at him realizing he probably had no idea how risqué a romance novel can be. Oz had gotten her the first book in the series as a gag gift. It had good vampires and evil soulless slayers. Out of complete boredom she had read it, and surprisingly, she had liked it. This was the second book in the series, so she already knew how steamy this authors writing could get.

"Alright, fine." She said, "But I'm skipping the sexy parts."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at her. "You coulda just said it was porn."

Buffy's eyes narrowed at him, and she gave him an offended look. "It's not porn! I wouldn't have said okay if it was!" She crossed her arms. "It's just like any romantic movie. You just get an up close and personal version of the sexy time. Porn's have no plot, all romance has a plot."

Daryl grinned at her. "I'm messin' with ya'."

"Oh." She smiled shyly. "Well, Okay then." She picked up the book, flipping it open to the first page, and began to read from J. R. Ward's, 'Lover Eternal'.

'" _ **Ah, hell, V you're killing me." Butch O'Neal mined through his sock drawer, looking for black silk, finding white cotton.**_

 _ **No, wait. He pulled out one dress sock. Not exactly a triumph.**_

" _ **If I were killing you cop, footwear'd be the last thing on your mind."'**_

*o*o*

' _She was wrapped in a cloud of warmth. Every bit of her was loved beyond anything she ever thought she could feel before. She was happy in a way she never thought she would experience. It engulfed her, this warmth. She remembered this place. Heaven. The sanctuary her soul belonged in._

 _She felt it, and part of her knew what was coming, that tearing sensation, that pain. It happened fast, her essence screaming in protest. Every inch of her rebelled, but it was no use. Her mouth opened in a silent scream.'_

 _*o*o*_

Daryl knew something was wrong when he felt the first violent jerk. His eyes flew open and he saw Buffy thrashing violently at the end of the bed. Her fingers curled into claws and she looked like she was trying to pry something open. Her breathing was labored, and he started to panic when he saw her silently sob.

"Buffy?" He whispered, grabbing her leg. Which he realized in the next moment was the wrong thing to do. She kicked him so hard he lost his breath. Thank god she did it on his uninjured side, or he would be in a lot more pain.

"Buffy!" He ground out harshly, trying to push past the pain.

Her eyes flew open and she sat up, gulping in air as if her lungs had been starved. She looked around the dark room in confusion until her eyes met Daryl's. "Oh." She choked, trying in vain to wipe the tears that were running uncontrollably down her face away. "I-I'm sorry."

Daryl shook his head. "You were havin' a nightmare, nothin' to be sorry for." He paused, listening to the sound of her breathing as it finally began to return to normal. "Was it another of them dreams you get?"

Buffy shook her head, wiping at the tears that still hadn't completely abated. "No." She said in a watery voice. "That was a memory."

Daryl was silent for a long time. Not really knowing how to handle the tears he could hear clearly in her voice. He tried to think of the right thing to say in that moment, wondering what Rick or even Dale would do in the situation. He finally went with his gut and asked. "You wanna talk about it?"

She didn't say anything for a long while, and Daryl started to worry he had said something wrong when she finally spoke. "My sister…S-she wasn't always my sister. I have memories of her, you see. I remember my mom bringing her home from the hospital when she was born. I remember getting into the most ridiculous fights I've ever had in my life with her. I remember her first day of kindergarten. I remember helping her do her hair the first day of middle school. I even remember her borrowing my favorite sweater and trying to hide the fruit punch stain she'd gotten on it." Buffy sighed, closing her eyes as the memories came to the surface. "But all of those memories, everything I just told you was a lie. None of that happened. Dawnie's origin was a key, a ball of energy created to open every dimensional door on this planet, the good, the bad, and the very ugly."

"The monks who were charged with protecting the key were failing in their endeavor. A god from a hell dimension was after it. So, they did a very powerful spell using my blood. They created Dawn out of me, implanting memories and her into my life in the hopes I would protect her at all costs." Buffy shrugged, "Turns out they were right. I did."

"Glory, the hell skank, figured out Dawnie was the key and kidnapped her. By the time we got to her it was too late." She paused, "It was her blood you see. That was the key to activating the portal. I realized what I had to do then. Dawn, she tried to run past me. She was going to kill herself to stop it, b-but I couldn't let that happen. It was my job to protect her, to protect the world, a-and I knew she would be okay if I did this. So I jumped."

Daryl's eyes widened in realization, "You died?"

Buffy looked down at her hands, nodding. "For four months, but it felt longer."

"But, how…" He whispered.

"My friends. To be fair, they thought I was in a hell dimension." She shrugged, sinking her teeth into her lip.

"They thought… Holy shit!" He breathed looking at her in awe.

Buffy nodded. "My best friends tore me out of heaven Daryl. What you were seeing was my nightmare of waking up in my coffin six feet under. I had to dig myself out." She shrugged. "That's why I look the way I do in some of the photos I showed you. I was angry for a long time."

Daryl nodded in understanding. "How'd ya' not kill 'em?"

Buffy gave a watery laugh. "That's a story for another time I think." She looked at her watch and noticed it was nearing sunrise. "I think I'm gonna go for a morning run. The fresh air will do me some good." She said, getting out of bed. "You should go back to sleep. I'll wake you before me and Oz head out for the day."

Daryl watched her go and his heart gave a slight pang at her loss. He shook his head. There was one thing he knew for sure, she was one hell of a women.


	6. Chapter Five

Thank you all so much for your reviews!

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter Five

Buffy tapped lightly on the RV door, immediately feeling guilty for doing so. It was four o'clock in the morning, and yeah, probably not the wisest idea on her part, especially with the way she was feeling; but she needed her weapons or she wouldn't feel safe.

She could feel it coming, the inevitable meltdown. It had been quite a while since she'd had an episode, but she could feel the tremors starting up. That feeling of being trapped and breathless, the coiling fear in her chest. She could taste dirt in her mouth and the scent of decay filled her sinuses.

Buffy shook her head, trying to block out the memories flooding her mind. She needed to get away for a while, just until it passed. It wouldn't do for Rick and his people to see her lose it. She clenched her fists until she felt her nails bite into her palms and pulled in a large breath through her nose.

A disheveled and clearly grumpy Dale answered the door the next instant. "Buffy?"

Buffy tried her best to smile at the man, but it came out more like a grimace. "Sorry to wake you. I was wondering if I could grab my weapons. I'm going for a run and wanted to do some training after."

He nodded at her. "No problem, come on in."

"Thanks." She said, stepping up into the RV.

Dale eyed her curiously, watching silently as she shakily strapped on her swords. "How long have you been practicing?"

Buffy paused and took another deep breath. "What do you mean?" She asked, hoping her voice didn't sound as shaky as it felt.

He pointed at the swords. "Martial arts."

"Oh." Buffy swallowed. "Since I was fifteen."

"Well," He said, giving her a kind smile. "A few of us were wondering if you wouldn't mind teaching us a few self-defense moves. God knows we could use it."

Buffy nodded, feeling her heart rate increase. "I think I can work that into my schedule. We're gonna head out to look for Sophia soon, but we can probably come back a little earlier to start training." She headed for the door, thanking God Dale wasn't trying to continue their conversation. "If you see Oz, tell him I should be back in an hour or so."

*o*o*

She ran.

 _She sat down on the couch in the training room. "This is how many Apocalypses for us now?"_

 _Giles came and joined her, removing his glasses. "Oh, uh, well, six at least." He paused. "Feels like a hundred."_

 _She could feel the despair filling her at the thought of killing Dawn. "I've always stopped them. Always won."_

" _Yes." Giles agreed_

" _I sacrificed Angel to save the world." She said, as tears filled her eyes. "I loved him so much." She paused. "But I knew, what was right. I don't have that anymore. I don't understand…I don't know how to live in this world, if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that…I just wish my mom was here."_

 _She shook her head, stood up and walked a few steps before turning back to Giles. "The spirit guide told me ... that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all."_

 _Giles sighs. "I think you're wrong about that."_

 _Buffy shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting."_

She ran; her heart racing as the onslaught continued.

 _She sees it go through him, his soul; but she can't bring herself to believe it. He fell to his knees in front of her, gasping as tears began to fill his dark eyes. "Buffy?" He whispered, a sob cracking his voice. "What's going on?"_

 _She gripped her sword tighter. This couldn't be happening. This had to be some sort of trick. Angelus was screwing with her head again. He had to be._

" _Where are we?" He said, looking around. "I-I don't remember?"_

" _Angel." She whispered._

" _You're hurt." He said, gently touching her arm._

 _She looked at the wound on her arm in confusion, subconsciously stepping closer to him. She met his eyes again, and froze as he embraced her._

" _Oh, Buffy... God," He breathed. "I... I feel like I haven't seen you in months."_

 _It crashed down on her then, the realization. This was Angel. Oh God, this was Angel. Her eyes widened as they began to fill with tears and she sighed in disbelief._

" _Oh, my God, everything's so muddled. I..."He squeezed her tighter. "Oh…" He brushed his lips against her shoulder. "Oh, Buffy..."_

 _She held him even tighter, a sob breaking from her throat. She'd thought she would never see him again. She thought she would have to kill Angelus before Angel ever had a chance to return._

 _Just as that hope began to grow, Acathla gave out a low rumble and her eyes widened in horror as the vortex began to open just behind Angel. She sucked in a shaky breath and pulled back, looking into the warmth of his eyes, so different from the coldness of Angelus._

 _He looked around in confusion. "What's happening?"_

 _She realized what she had to do and she could feel her heart shattering in the process. "Shh. Don't worry about it." She whispered reassuringly as she began to memorize every feature. She brushed her fingers across his lips, sliding them over to cup his cheek. Her lips met his in a soft kiss that quickly became passionate. She pulled away, looking into his eyes one last time. "I love you." She choked._

" _I love you." Angel whispered, still confused._

 _Buffy caressed his lips with her fingers one last time. "Close your eyes." She nodded. She kissed him again, trying her hardest not to break. She stepped back, drawing her sword, and as she thrust it into his chest, she shattered completely._

Buffy stumbled as the memories come faster than she can run, almost falling in the process, but she pushed through it. She ran again.

 _Buffy ran into the living room, fear shooting through her system. "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! No, Mom!" She fell to her knees in front of the couch, grasping her mother's shoulders and shaking them. She yelled as loud as she could, trying with all her might to get her mother to respond. She quickly realizes her mom isn't breathing._

 _She stood, sniffling, her heart pounding in her chest. She's dreaming, she had to be. This couldn't be real. She made her way into the kitchen, finding the phone and dialing 911._

" _911emergency." The operator answered._

 _Buffy stopped dead; not really knowing what to say. "Hello?"_

 _The operator seemed to sigh with exasperation. "Do you have...?"_

 _That managed to rip her mind out of the spiral it was in. "My mom," She said, frantically heading back into the living room. "She, she's not breathing."_

" _Is she conscious?" The woman asked, concern warming her tone._

 _Buffy shook her head, looking at the still figure of her mother lying on the couch. Her mom's eyes were open. Oh God, why are they open? "No. I-I-I can't, she, she's not breathing."_

" _Okay, I need you to give me your address." The operator said._

" _What?" Buffy asked in confusion._

" _I'm gonna send an ambulance over." The woman responded._

 _Buffy nodded, finally understanding. "Si-Sixteen thirty Revello Drive, it-it's a house, Revello near Hadley."_

" _I'm sending a unit right away. Are you alone in the house?" The woman asked._

" _Yes." Buffy responded, as she felt her body begin to tremble. It was very detached, nothing felt real anymore._

" _Well, did you see what happened, did she fall?" The operator asked._

" _No, no, I-I came home and she-what should I do?" Buffy asked frantically._

" _Do you know how to administer CPR?" The woman asked calmly._

 _Tears break from Buffy's eyes, as she choked out, "No, I don't remember."_

" _Okay," The operator began to explain. "It's very simple. You wanna tilt your mother's head back. Cover her mouth with yours, and breathe into her mouth."_

 _Buffy ran over to her mother. "I know this. I know this. God." She sat the phone down and took hold of her Mom's legs, pulling her straight so she's lying flat on her back. "I can do this. Okay… Okay." She said to herself as she tilted her mother's head back. She pinched Mom's nose and breathed into her mouth twice, before starting chest compressions. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..." She grimaced, and did two more breaths, before starting another round of compression. "One, two, three..." Her eyes widened in horror as she heard a cracking noise._ " _Oh! Oh God." She reached for the phone. "I, are you there? I, I broke something."_

" _Hello?" The operator said._

" _It cracked." Buffy said, swallowing the bile that was suddenly flooding her mouth._

" _Is she breathing?" The operator asked._

" _No." She whimpered._

" _Paramedics should be there in a moment. You might have cracked a rib. It's not important." The woman said._

 _Buffy laid her hand on her mother's. "She's cold."_

 _There was a long silent pause, as the operator began to do the math. "The body's cold?"_

" _No, my Mom!" Buffy cried in frustration. "Sh-should I make her warm?"_

" _No ... if she's not responding to CPR, the best thing is to wait for the paramedics, okay?" The woman said, sympathy clear in her voice._

" _When will they be here?" Buffy asked even more frustrated._

" _They're very nearby." The operator said calmly._

 _Buffy dropped her hand, the phone hanging at her side as she got to her feet. She stared out the sunlit window a long while, before bringing the phone back up to her ear. "I have to make a call." Buffy hung up, and stared at the phone, before pressing speed dial._

 _It rang a few times before Giles' voice fills the line. "Hello?"_

" _Giles." Buffy said in a soft tone. "You have to come."_

" _Buffy?" Giles questioned worriedly._

" _She's at the house." She whispered, before hanging up._

Buffy fell to her knees, the memory of finding her mother like that too much for her. A sob breaks past her lips. "Stop it." She whispered. "Please. I-I don't want to remember… Please."

 _The energy crackled around them. A bolt of lightning hitting the rickety tower they stood on. She could hear the chaos below; see the dragon that had just ripped through the energy rift. She looked at her baby sister._

" _I'm sorry." Dawn cried._

 _Buffy shook her head. "It doesn't matter."_

 _Dawn tried to race past her, but she grabbed hold. "What are you doing?" Buffy demanded._

" _I have to jump. The energy." Dawn choked._

 _Buffy shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "It'll kill you."_

" _I know." Dawn whispered, a sob spilling from her lips as she stared at her sister. "Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it."_

" _No!" Buffy cried out in denial._

 _The tower shook, and they both stumbled. "I have to." Dawn yelled over the deafening sound of the dragon flying by the tower. "Look at what's happening." Another bolt of lightning shot from the portal, destroying a nearby building. "Buffy, you have to let me go." Dawn sobbed. "Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop."_

 _Buffy looked at Dawn and her heart broke, her sister was right. God… She knew Dawn was right, but she couldn't let her sister go. Buffy couldn't watch her die like that._

" _You know you have to, let me." Dawn said tearfully. "It has to have the blood."_

 _The realization hits right then. Spike's words about blood, about how powerful it is, her own words about how Dawn had Summers blood, how the Monks had created Dawnie out of her, and finally the first Slayer's words._ 'Death is your gift'. _It crashed down on her then, and she knew with perfect clarity what she had to do._

 _Buffy turned and watched as the sun attempted to rise, the portal ripping holes in the morning sky. Everything seemed to wash away in that moment, and Buffy accepted that this was her end. She turned back to her sister._

" _Buffy ... no!" Dawn cried out in realization._

" _Dawnie, I have to." Buffy whispered._

 _Dawn shook her head. "No!"_

" _Listen to me." Buffy pled, grabbing onto her sister's shoulders. "Please, there's not a lot of time, listen." She paused and took a deep breath. "I love you. I will_ always _love you. But this is the work that I have to do." She smiled softly, brushing the heavy tears from her sister's cheek. "Tell Giles... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now." She reached out, tucking a stray hair behind Dawn's ear. "You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me." She kissed her sister's cheek one last time, before running full speed and swan diving off the edge of the tower._

She knew what was coming next, and her body tensed as the trapped feeling assailed her completely. Her fist struck out, connecting with the trunk of a tree; the pain giving her a momentary reprieve from the overwhelming sensation. She did it again and again, until she heard the sound of wood cracking. Her head spun, and when she opened her eyes, she was back in the box.

 _Her heart pounded as the most intense fear she'd ever felt consumed her. She couldn't breathe; God, there was no air. She reached up feeling vainly for an escape. A whimper spilled out when her fingers hit nothing but fabric, and she frantically tore into it._

 _She couldn't breathe. She had to get out. A sob tore from her throat when her fingers finally met wood, and she pounded on it with her fists. She tried to scream but no sound was possible as she'd already used up the stale air. She pounded harder on the wood until she heard it crack. As she pried at the splintered wood, her hands become torn and bloody._

 _Soil rained down on her as she succeeded, filling her mouth and nose. She choked again, forcing herself into an upright position as she squeezed her paper thin body through the hole she'd made. With all her strength she began to climb through the packed earth, damp soil filling every orifice. With the last of her strength she broke the surface, pulling herself onto the grass. She spat the soil she didn't swallow out of her mouth, sucking in a large lungful of air. Suddenly, her stomach rebelled, and she vomited._

 _Buffy laid in the grass a long while. Her body trembling from the effort it took to climb up through the earth. She felt her memories begin to spark to life; pictures and faces blurring her vision in a confusing mesh. She realized she could read the next instance, because when she looked up she saw a headstone. Her headstone._

 _Buffy Anne Summers_

 _Beloved Sister_

 _Devoted Friend_

 _She saved the world_

 _A lot_

 _Once more, she broke as realization hit her. She was back. She was in hell._

*o*o*

Oz ran up the stairs, taking two of them at a time. He knew something was wrong as soon as Dale told him Buffy had gone for a run. Panting and trying to catch his breath, he entered Daryl's room as Hershel was finishing up.

"Well, looks like you're healing up just fine. Miss Summers and Mr. Osbourne really did save your life; you should be grateful." The elderly man was saying. "I think you can move back into your tent this afternoon."

Daryl nodded at Hershel as he began to pack up his medical equipment. "Thanks, Doc."

Hershel stood, nodding at Oz as he walked passed and closed the door on his way out.

Oz looked at Daryl a long moment before asking. "Did Buffy have a nightmare last night?"

Daryl nodded. "Yah, yah she did."

Oz cursed under his breath. "Did she happen to tell you what it was about?"

Daryl was silent a long time. "She said she was dreamin' about bein' resurrected."

"Fuck!" Oz cursed again.

Daryl's eyes widened. "What?"

"Well," He said on a sigh. "She told you about her resurrection, I guess I can reveal this too." He paused, taking a breath. "She has PTSD."

"You mean like soldiers?" Daryl asked, sitting up and grimacing as his wounds pulled.

"Yep." Oz agreed. "And that particular nightmare just happens to be a major trigger for her."

"Fuck!" Daryl repeated, starting to get out of bed.

"Woah, man!" Oz said, holding up his hands. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm gonna help you find her." He grunted.

"No," Oz said, shaking his head. "She'll have my ass if something happens to you."

Daryl's eyes widened in response. "Why the hell would she care?"

"Come on, man." Oz said. "You can't really be that naïve." At Daryl's blank look he continued. "She likes you man. Didn't you know that when a girl brings you books…" Oz gestured at the stack on the night stand. "Or reads to a man, she likes him?"

Daryl shook his head, continuing to try and stand; not believing for a moment that Buffy could possibly like him as anything other than a friend. "How the hell did ya' know she was readin' to me?"

Oz shrugged. "I came up to check on her last night, was worried when she wasn't in her tent. I overheard her."

Daryl blushed, but pushed the feeling away quickly. "I'll help you find her." He said again.

Oz held up his hand. "No way, I'll ask Rick. No offence, but I need someone who can keep up with me right now, and you definitely aren't up for it." He came up next to Daryl just as he got to his feet. "But, I will help you to your tent, since Hershel seems so dead set on getting your group off his property."

"You see it too, huh?" Daryl asked, placing most of his weight on Oz. He took a deep shaky breath as they began to walk towards the door.

"Yeah," Oz agreed. "I see it, know why too, me and Buffy both know why."

They stopped at the door, Daryl staring at Oz. "Why?"

Oz studied Daryl for a long moment. "You gotta promise not to freak." He said quietly.

Daryl shook his head. "I ain't promisin' nothin', but I'll try." Daryl grunted.

Oz took a deep breath. Buffy trusted Daryl, he should try as well he supposed. "There are Walkers in the barn." Daryl's eyes widened, and he cursed. "We think." Oz continued, "That Hershel and his family believe they're just sick. They don't understand they're truly dead."

Daryl shook his head. "When Shane finds out…"

"We know." Oz cut him off. "That's what we're worried about."

Daryl nodded. "Well, he won't hear it from me. Figure if we had somethin' to worry about they would have broken out already."

"Thanks for that." Oz said, helping Daryl out the door.

*o*o*

Rick and Oz walked through the woods in silence for a long time. Oz told Rick that Buffy suffered from PTSD, and that she'd had a nightmare the night before that probably triggered an episode. Oz also said that Buffy wasn't the only Slayer with it. He'd said a lot of the older girls had it, due to everything they had witnessed over the years. Apparently it was a massive hit to the Watchers Council, knowing that the life style of a Slayer directly impacted their mental health, and the only reason it had never been identified before was because most Slayers didn't tend to live past their twenties.

It was Buffy who showed the first signs. Though as Oz pointed out, it had been present a lot longer than anyone was willing to acknowledge. Buffy knew something was wrong with her ever since she'd been brought back from the dead. Another detail Rick was still trying to wrap his head around.

"Okay." Rick finally said. "Explain to me again why Buffy isn't dangerous to my people."

"Because," Oz sighed. "She would never hurt a human unless she had too. She might knock someone on their ass if they deserve it, but she was charged with protecting humanity. No matter what she's going through, that's her number one priority. It's what she's been doing for almost fifteen years. It's who she is." Oz paused. "Trust me when I say, if Buffy was gonna go dark side, she woulda done it years ago."

Rick seemed to understand that. They walked for a while longer before Oz paused, and he turned left, walking into what used to be dense crop of trees. It looked like a tornado had torn through here. Rick was the first one who saw the figure sobbing in the middle of the destruction, bloody hands covering her face. Oz ran to her without hesitation, calling her name in the process. Rick followed quickly behind him, and watched as the young girl sobbed her apologies.

"I-I'm sorry." Buffy sobbed. "I didn't mean…"

"Shh." Oz hushed. "Calm down." He said pulling Buffy's bloodied hands away from her face.

She sobbed harder at his words. "I'm sorry." She said again. "I should have gotten you, but it was coming too fast. I-I couldn't… and then I was back in the box again, and I couldn't breathe, and God… I'm s-so s-sorry."

"Shh, shh," He hushed again. "If it was coming too fast it's not your fault. Leaving was the right move." He said, looking at her blood and tear streaked face. "Now, let's get you cleaned up so no one mistakes you for a Walker.

She snorted, the laugh coming out on a sob. "Jerk." She grumbles.

Oz smiled. "There's my girl."

Rick watched as Oz pulled off his backpack, pulling out gauze and disinfectant. He gently took hold of her right hand and started cleaning it. Rick grimaced at the mangled flesh of her knuckles. He cleared his throat. "Is there something I can help with?"

"Yeah," Oz nodded. "There should be a bottle of water and a wash cloth in my bag. Can you help her get some of the blood off her face?"

It was then Buffy realized Rick was there as well, and a new wave of tears broke from her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered in a choked voice. "I-If you want us t-to leave after this, I w-would understand."

Rick knelt down in front of her, wetting the cloth and beginning to clean the blood from her face. His eyes softened when he noticed the little bloody crescent shaped cuts by her temple. She had clawed herself until she bled. "Naw," Rick responded quietly. "Seeing as how you only managed to hurt the foliage and yourself, I think we can forgive and forget." Rick turned to Oz, "Can you hand me some of the alcohol?" Oz nodded and passed him the bottle.

They worked on her a long time. Oz eventually using tweezers to pull out as many of the splinters she'd imbedded in her hands as he could find. He wrapped both of her hands with fresh gauze after that, before he finally sighed. "Alright, you know what comes next. Are we gonna have an argument about this?"

Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "I won't give you enough to fall asleep, but you're still shaking pretty badly, and you know it will help."

Buffy sighed, closing her eyes and sucking in a shaky breath. "I hate this."

"I know." Oz said digging for the bottle of tranquilizer, and a syringe. He found what he was looking for and fixed a small dose for Buffy. "Alright, now let's see your arm."

Buffy watched as he plunged the syringe into her arm. Her eyes quickly became heavy, and she felt the tension slowly begin to leave her body. She gave a grateful sigh.

Oz packed everything away, before helping Buffy to her feet. "Come on let's get you back to camp."

*o*o*

She looked up in surprise as Carol stepped into her tent. "Hi," The woman greeted, setting down a plate of food on the box Buffy was using for a table. "I thought maybe you might be hungry."

"Thank you." Buffy said, sitting up woozily and reaching for the plate.

For several minutes, Carol watched Buffy as she ate, before finally speaking up. "I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am; for all that you're doing to find my little girl."

"Yeah," Buffy said quietly. "Lotta good I did today."

Carol crouched down and shook her head. "Don't you worry about that, you hear? We all got problems, Buffy, and some days are harder to get through than others, but I can see that you and Oz are good people." She sighed, squeezing Buffy's knee, causing the young blonde to stiffen. "I just wanted to say thank you."

"You're welcome." Buffy whispered.

Carol stood and headed for the door, pausing for a moment. "Do you think you'll find her?" She whispered.

Buffy paused in her eating, and looked at the meek woman. "Honestly?" Buffy whispered. "I don't know, but I do have faith."

Carol nodded. "Thank you. I think you're the first person who has been honest with me about that."

*o*o*

A few hours later Buffy heard a scratching on her tent, before Daryl stepped in. He stood watching Buffy quietly for a moment, his eyes straying to her bandaged hands. "What ya' do there?" he asked quietly.

Buffy grimaced. "Me and a few trees had a disagreement."

Daryl snorted, coming over and sitting on the edge of her sleeping bag. "Who won?"

Buffy grinned despite herself. "I suppose I did."

Daryl gave her a nod, and sighed. "Why didn't ya' tell me what was happenin' this mornin'?"

She shrugged, looking down. "I didn't want you to see me like that." She whispered quietly. "I was scared, I guess."

Daryl looked at her in confusion. "Of what?"

She shrugged again, fidgeting with the bandages on her hands. "I thought that was kinda obvious."

He raised an eyebrow in response, and Buffy sighed, blushing. "Don't worry about it. It's stupid anyway."

They sat quietly for what felt like an hour, Daryl finally getting to his feet and heading for the door. He stopped when Buffy called him back, turning and watching as she scooted over as if making room.

"C-can you stay with me tonight?" She whispered, almost too quiet to hear.

His eyes widened in surprise and he was about to protest when her next words stopped him. "I just…I don't wanna be alone tonight."

He studied her a long time, before conceding and crawling into her sleeping bag with her. He lay completely still on his back, and went stiff as a board when she laid her head on his chest.

"Thank you." She whispered into the fabric of his shirt.

He grunted in response, knowing he probably wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight. _'What is this girl doin' to me?'_


	7. Chapter Six

So finally some of your questions are answered. Thank you so much for your amazing reviews! Especially those who gave all their input on Buffy's PTSD. I truly loved hearing from you all, please keep them coming!

Special thanks to my wonderful beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter Six

Daryl woke up in a tangle of limbs. Their legs were entwined and pelvises pressed up against each other. His hand had slipped up the back of her shirt and he realized in that moment how soft her skin felt under his fingertips. She smelled good too, like a mixture of vanilla and coconut oil. Like summer. He couldn't describe it really. It was what he imagined a beach on the ocean would smell like. Not that he had firsthand experience or anything; it's just what he pictured by the fragrance.

It had taken him awhile to relax the night before. He'd honestly never slept all night next to a girl before, at least not like this. His experience with girls was limited and Buffy was definitely not the type he was used too.

She was the ideal woman in his eyes, the kind who had never looked twice at him in the past, and the kind that he had secretly wished for, even as a boy. It was a pipedream, he knew. Girls like her simply didn't look at guys like him in that way. Even if Oz was sure she did, Daryl just couldn't make himself believe that. She had a good heart and was so strong. He wasn't just talking about physically either, even with her mental problems. Shit, the girl went to heaven, and had to crawl out of her own grave. If it had been him in that position they would have needed to throw him in a padded cell.

He still couldn't wrap his head around it. Fuck, heaven was real? How fucking insane was that? He wondered what it was like, if it was like the bible said or if it was something else entirely, probably the latter. He never put much stock in the bible. He had lost what little faith he'd had years ago. You could only pray so much before you realized no one was listening, and in his childhood he had done more than his fair share of praying without answer.

What Buffy needed was a good man. Not some redneck drifter, who up until a few weeks ago had followed his junky brother's every command. She didn't need the kind of baggage he carried screwing with her head. He realized she was too good for him. Even if Oz's words held any truth at all, it would be wrong of him to sully her like that.

He was attracted to her. Hell, if he was being honest, he could even admit to the growing feelings he had for her; but that was as far as it could go. He could admire her from afar. He could be her friend. He could even have these burgeoning feelings for her, but he wouldn't pull her down in the dirt with him. He refused.

Daryl felt her shift in her sleep, her bandaged hand grasping the material of his shirt. "Mmm." She hummed into his chest, the vibration doing things to his brain. "You're comfy."

Her eyes opened the next second; bright emerald staring back at him and in that moment he wanted to take back everything he just talked himself out of. She was absolutely beautiful. She smiled and his breath caught in his throat. At that moment beautiful seemed too tame a word for her, and unfortunately he didn't have the vocabulary to come up with a better one.

"Morning." She whispered, a light blush tinting her cheeks.

"Mornin'." He said back, as he felt her limbs tighten and her toes point as she stretched.

"Mmm," She hummed again burying her face in his chest. "I don't remember the last time I've slept so well." She mumbled sleepily, "Especially after…" Her voice tapered off and she looked at him, her eyes shining with an emotion he couldn't read. "Thank you." She whispered sincerely.

He removed his arm from around her and shook his head, turning on to his back and studying the canvas ceiling of the tent. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Was nothin'."

She placed her hand on his chest, feeling his muscles stiffen at her touch. "It was more than you know." She said, gently removing her hand and laying back. "And, for whatever reason you seem…" She paused, rethinking how to word what she was trying to say. "You just don't strike me as the cuddling type is all. I know this couldn't have been very easy for you." She paused, biting her lip. "So yeah… Just thank you."

He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, before he finally nodded.

Buffy sat up, stretching her arms over her head. Her shirt rode up in the process and Daryl caught a glimpse of the scar he'd seen the first day he'd met her. His hand moved as if it had a mind of its own, and before he realized what he was doing his finger traced the scar.

Buffy sucked in a breath of surprise, but didn't pull away from his touch. Her eyes closed, and she shuddered. His finger was calloused and rough as he touched her, making goose bumps erupt across her skin. Buffy swallowed thickly and turned her head to the side, watching him as he studied the scar, his eyes darkening in anger or lust she didn't know.

"Where'd ya' get it?" He whispered hoarsely, the tone in his voice telling her this wasn't something she should try to blow off as nothing.

"I was run through with a sword." She said quietly, trying not to break the spell. "I have a matching one in the front too."

He sucked in a breath of surprise, as if he just realized what he was doing and just like that, the spell was broken. He tore his hand away as if burned, clumsily getting to his feet. She could see he was breathing heavily as he clenched and unclenched the fists at his sides.

"Daryl?" She whispered.

He turned towards her and shook his head, eyes wide and almost frightened. "I…" He ran his hands through his hair. "This ain't gonna work." He was gone the next instant, leaving Buffy hurt and bewildered all at the same time.

*o*o*

As shitty as Buffy was feeling when she left her tent, the sight that Oz presented coaxed a warm smile to her face. Rick's son Carl sat next to him with the guitar Glen had given Oz propped in his lap, as Oz gave the boy guitar lessons.

She noticed Rick and Lori close by, hands over their mouths as they watched their son smile and laugh every time he got a cord right. Caught up in the moment, even Shane looked choked up. She saw Glen and Dale watching with matching smiles. Carol stepped out of the RV to watch, a sad smile playing on her lips. She only watched a few moments before swiftly turning around and headed back inside, wiping at the tears in her eyes. T-Dog and Andrea were on the roof of the RV, paying more attention to Oz and Carl than their surroundings. They were smiling too she realized.

Buffy looked back at Rick and Lori, and saw the women staring at her. She nodded and gave her a kind smile, but she was not prepared for what happened next. Lori walked towards her with determination in her eyes. Buffy froze forcing herself not to get into a defensive pose, but what happened next shocked her. Lori threw her arms around Buffy, embracing her warmly.

"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you both for being here."

It sunk in that moment what the woman was saying. She pulled away looking at Lori sharply. "Rick told you." She whispered, and it wasn't a question.

Lori nodded. "He did." The brunette took a breath. "I'm his wife Buffy. Of course he told me. I wasn't sure what to think at first, but watching you both, how determined you both are, besides how you usually keep to yourselves. The way Daryl seems to trust the both of you unconditionally. It all makes sense. Rick just told me everything last night, but he told me you were here for us early on. I guess I just didn't understand at the time."

Buffy sighed, shaking her head in defeat. "Of course, I…Does anyone else know?"

"Not that I know of," She responded. "Though Shane might know. He is Rick's best friend after all."

Buffy looked at Lori, her eyes narrowing, "You really think Rick still trusts him after everything that's happened?"

Lori looked surprised and a little guilty. "How do you…"

"You mean besides the way Shane constantly looks at you?" Buffy cut in, and the older woman's eyes widened.

"Lori." Buffy sighed. "It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure it out. Your husband knows. You need to tell him what happened." She held up her hand, before the other woman could cut in. "I'm not judging you, so don't think I am. I have been where you were, so numb to anything you chose the worst person, someone you would never normally choose, because he's there for you in a way no one else is." Buffy shook her head. "And at the time it seems right, but part of you knows how wrong it is. Not because he is necessarily the villain in this tale, but because you are, because he actually does love you, even if it's the wrong kind of love. But, you can't love him back. Not the way he wants you too, and he's so good at making you forget who you were, who you are, and that's not your fault either, because part of you can't seem to remember what it's like being you."

Buffy sighed. "Believe me, I more than know what you were going through, the only difference is, I didn't have a good man like Rick to pick up the pieces after."

Lori's eyes filled with tears at Buffy's words. She shook her head and whispered. "How can I tell him? How could he possibly ever forgive me?"

Buffy's eyes softened at her words. "Because he loves you, anyone with eyes can see that. It will take some time, but he'll forgive you Lori." She sighed. "I think the real question you should be asking yourself is, can you forgive yourself?"

Lori was quiet for a long time. "Were you able to?"

"Some of it," Buffy admitted. "Other things, not so much." She shrugged. "I made a lot of really bad choices back then, and the way I acted…" She shook her head. "Let's just say, I haven't been with anyone for a very long time for a reason."

Lori frowned at this. "But I thought you and Daryl?"

Her eyes widened. "I'm that obvious?"

"Not especially." Lori said shaking her head. "We just saw him leave your tent this morning, and we assumed…"

"Oh God, no." Buffy cut in. "Daryl has been nothing but a gentleman around me."

Lori's lips seem to twitch in amusement at this. "Daryl Dixon, a gentleman?"

"I'm serious." Buffy said in annoyance, feeling herself get defensive. "Plus, I highly doubt he likes me that way."

Lori snorted in disbelief. "Have you looked in a mirror lately? Trust me honey, just about every man in this camp likes you that way." She shook her head. "You also didn't see how protective Daryl got over you yesterday when Rick and Oz brought you back. He wouldn't let anyone near your tent except for Oz and Carol, not even Rick."

Buffy's eyes widened in surprise and blushed, "He wouldn't?" She shook her head, a smile spreading across her face. "Well, I think that just proves my point."

"Which is?" Lori questioned.

"He's definitely a total gentleman."

They both gave each other secretive smiles, before they burst out laughing.

"Come on." Lori said, grabbing hold of Buffy's arm. "I don't think you've been properly introduced to my son."

As Buffy followed Lori she had the sudden prickling feeling she got when she was being watched. She looked behind her and was surprised to see Daryl standing in the spot where her and Lori just were. The same heat in his eyes from this morning, only a thousand times more intense. They stayed like that a long while, Buffy barely able to breathe as she seemed to get lost in their icy blue depths.

Daryl broke contact first and Buffy watched as he seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance they'd been locked in. He very obviously cursed as he snatched up his crossbow and stormed off in the opposite direction. Buffy realized he must have heard their entire conversation.

*o*o*

Sometime later Oz and Rick were out in the forest, once again searching for Sophia. Rick could see now why Oz was such an asset to have on their side. The boy could track like a bloodhound. And the Walkers... Jesus, the two of them could literally walk right past the dead without notice. It was truly incredible.

The day before, they'd searched for Sophia together and Rick had gotten to know Oz a little better. The young man was just about as honest as they come. He had asked Oz a barrage of questions yesterday, trying to trip him up and reveal any hidden motives, but Oz had taken each one in stride. Not fazed at all by Rick's inquiry, in fact, it was almost as if he expected it. He also realized fairly quickly how smart Oz actually was. He looked at things with more forethought than most, asking questions before just jumping to conclusions.

He was able to shut Shane down pretty quickly yesterday, which is something even Rick had trouble with at times. It was Oz's suggestion that Shane take the others out shooting, when he started throwing a fit about Buffy's breakdown. Oz had been totally calm as he looked at Shane as if he hadn't just insulted both his and Buffy's integrity, before he said. "If you're really that worried about us, why don't you take your group out and train them to defend themselves. That way when Buffy and I decide to make our move you'll be prepared."

Half the group started laughing at Oz's words, provoking Shane to anger and spitting fire to cover his embarrassment but unable to respond. Rick had finally taken pity on his old friend, telling Shane that Oz had a point and it wasn't a bad idea at all. After that Shane hadn't said much, though he would throw a glare in the redhead's direction every once in a while. The truth was; Rick could tell Shane thought it was a good idea as soon as Oz suggested it. He just didn't know how to treat it as such, with the dig Oz added at the end.

They walked along a while more and Rick smiled as he thought of Carl this morning. After everything that had happened, his boy could still laugh, he could still smile.

"I still can't thank you enough for what you did with my boy this morning." Rick finally said.

Oz grinned. "Not a problem. You got a good boy on your hands Rick. He's got a real ear for music too."

Rick nodded, emotion filling him. "It's just with everything that's happened… I think me and Lori were starting to think he was going to grow up too fast. That maybe he wasn't going to experience a childhood, much less a good life at all. I'm still not sure what's going to happen." Rick paused, taking a large breath. "But I'm glad he has a chance to experience something good."

Oz nodded in understanding. "It really isn't a problem. I'll even continue to give him lessons as long as he's willing. I've always felt that it's wrong to…" Oz stopped dead, nose up as he sniffed the air around them. "Oh no." He whispered.

"What?" Rick questioned in alarm, watching as Oz seemed to follow an unseen trail.

"She started bleeding…a lot." He began walking faster. "I think she ran." He began to run too, following the trail as quickly as he could.

Rick followed, until he almost slammed into the back of Oz when he abruptly stopped. "Wha…" He started to say before Oz cut him off.

"She climbed that tree." He pointed. "She was trying to get away from it, but her blood caused more to come." Oz paused, eyes widening. "Oh god, she bled out up there."

Rick's eyes widened, as disbelief began to fill them. "You sure?" He choked.

Oz nodded, emotion clear in his voice. "Positive, she was still strong enough to climb that tree, but she was trapped." Oz shook his head. "Look at all the blood on the tree. There's no way she could have survived that kind of blood loss."

Rick looked at the stains smeared across the tree, and sucked in a shuddering breath. He walked forward and saw a small shoe print on the tree and his composure completely broke. "No." Rick whispered, tears in his eyes. "Oh God."

"I'm sorry." Oz said quietly. "I really thought we would find her."

Rick nodded. "I thought we would too." He sighed wiping at his eyes. "We better head back and tell Carol."

Oz nodded in agreement, feeling utterly defeated.

*o*o*

Buffy laughed, as Carl chased her in a game of tag. She figured the kid was bored without someone else his own age to play with and had no problem indulging the boy. She swooped out of the way right as he got close to her, making him laugh.

"Not fair," Carl said still laughing. "You're too fast."

"Well, I guess you're just gonna have to try harder then, huh?"

"Hey guys, dinners almost ready." Lori called, smiling at the pair.

Carl pretended to collapse, and Buffy giggled. "Come on kid; let's get some grub in you."

"I don't think I can walk." He said, smiling up at her from the ground, breathing heavily.

Buffy shook her head, holding out her hand. "Well come on then, I'll help you." Carl reached out and she pulled him to his feet.

"Last one there's a rotten egg." He said as he took off running.

"Oh, why you little…" Buffy started laughing, and quickly took up the chase. As they reached camp Rick and Oz pulled up. She stopped short at the look on their faces as they exited the vehicle, immediately knowing something was wrong. She was grateful that Carl ran off ahead of her, not wanting him to witness what she knew was coming. Apparently Carol knew it too, because she took one look at the men and started crying.

"No." She whimpered. "Not my Sophia."

Rick shook his head as he walked up to her. "I'm so sorry Carol." He wrapped his arms around her.

"No!" Carol screamed, pushing him away, only quickly to be replaced by Daryl.

The woman began to sob on Daryl, making Buffy feel utterly helpless at the stricken look on his face. Tears filled her eyes when she met his. She felt like a failure in that moment. She was utterly useless, and it occurred to her that she really had no excuse for that.

Had it been so long ago since Sunnydale that she forgot what being the Slayer meant, especially in a world like this? She had become too comfortable. She had forgotten about nightly patrols, going after the big bad before they got you, and making sure your friends, the people you loved most, never had to suffer.

Rage filled Buffy in that moment. Rage directed at herself, and the things she should have been protecting these people from. She should have killed every one of the filthy dead things she could find. She didn't deserve to be hanging out like this was some kind of _fucking_ vacation. In that moment her mind was made up.

She marched past everyone gathered around Carol. Buffy climbed into the RV, without asking permission. She didn't bother with announcing her presence, rather saw her weapons, and began to strap them on. Dale must have noticed her, because he was in front of her the next minute.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"My job," She said, as she slid both swords in their holster. She didn't give him a second glance as she walked out the RV fully armed. Buffy walked by everyone, marching over to Shane and laying a map of the area in front of him. "Show me where the high school is."

"Huh? The wha…?"

"Where you got the medical supplies for Carl, the FEMA shelter." Buffy demanded.

"Girl, why the hell you wanna go there?" Shane responded.

Buffy looked him in the eye, "Because I'm gonna go and kill every one of those fucking things," She spat. "Then I'm gonna take everything in there."

Shane's eyes widened in shock. "That's suicide girl."

"Not for me it's not." She countered.

Shane shook his head in disbelief, but did as she asked and circled the area. "Hell, if you're goin', I'm goin'."

"No, you're really not." Buffy said as she shouldered past him. "I can handle this on my own."

She walked past everyone, ignoring the odd stares at all her weapons. She noticed neither Oz nor Carol were around, and quickly realized he must be comforting the women. She was happy for that. Oz could be a bit overprotective when it came to his family, and she didn't want to deal with an argument now.

Buffy quickly hopped in her truck, not surprised in the least when Daryl opened the passenger door.

"What the hell do ya' think you're doing?" He growled at her.

She just raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm doing what I was made for. What I should have been doing from the moment I had that dream. I'm protecting all of you."

"The hell ya' are." Daryl snarled. "You're gonna get yourself killed."

"No I'm not." Buffy said, voice raising octaves. "I'm saving all your asses! Now either get in the fucking truck, or grab another one and help. Otherwise get the hell out of my way."

Daryl's eyes widened at her words, and he realized she was mad at him. "What's your problem?"

"My problem?" She looked at him. "My problem is; I'm just now realizing how stupid I've been. That I should have embraced what I am, and taken out as many of the dead as I could a long time ago."

"That's not what I mean, and ya' know it." Daryl shouted, hopping into the passenger's side, crossbow already in hand.

Buffy laughed bitterly. "Oh, you mean the fact that you ignored me all day. Don't worry about it. I'm used to it."

"I didn't ignore ya'." Daryl growled angrily.

"Well what the hell do you call it then?" Buffy asked angrily. "Gotta admit, Daryl, I've been looked at a lot of ways, but I think you're the first person who has ever made me truly feel like a piece of shit!"

Daryl's eyes widened again, this time in shock. "That's not why I was looking at ya' like that."

"Then what did the look mean." Buffy snarled, "Because it was either an _'I hate your guts'_ , look, or it was an _'I wanna fuck your brains out'_ look." He didn't respond so she continued. "I'm guessing it was the former, because really nothing else makes sense!" She said angrily.

Daryl shook his head, looking at Buffy in disbelief. "You're wrong." He whispered. "And I'm coming with ya', no matter what ya' think."

Buffy glared at him a long time. "Fine," she growled. "But if you get in my way, or die, I'm totally kicking your ass."

Daryl couldn't help but smirk at her words. "Yes ma'am."

Buffy's smile was deadly as she started backing out of the driveway, "And don't try to kiss my ass neither." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Also I will bodily remove anyone who judges my music." She paused. "So you better keep your mouth shut."

He nodded, not saying anything when some rock band he'd never heard before started up.


	8. Chapter Seven

A/N: Thank you all for all the reviews! You guys are so amazing. I don't think you realize how easy this chapter was to write because of you!

* * *

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Seven

Daryl was silent as he watched Buffy drive. He didn't know what to think about her earlier outburst, and he had to admit he'd been too shocked to react. She was such a sweet person normally and to see her get so fired up had made his brain shut down. But, if he was being honest with himself she was pretty cute when she was spitting mad.

Buffy pulled over to the side of the road and sighed. She hadn't meant to take her anger out on Daryl. He definitely didn't deserve it. "I'm sorry." She said quietly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. She noticed the curious look he was giving her. "I was angry at myself. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

He shrugged. "Ain't nothin' to be sorry for. Trust me, I've had worse."

She sighed. "Yah, but it still wasn't fair." She reached behind her, pulling out the Glock she had tucked in her jeans at the small of her back. "Here." she said. "I imagine you weren't really planning on using up all your bolts tonight." She began pulling out mags from all sorts of places on her body.

Daryl was confused at where she was able to store half of them. Though he was pretty sure the other half was stored in her boots. By the time she was done he had twelve fully loaded magazines in his lap. "What the fuck!"

Buffy laughed. "I thought I was going by myself. No point in going unprepared."

Daryl shook his head. "You're one crazy bitch, ya' know that?"

Buffy smiled, pulling out a backpack from behind the seat and throwing it at him. "I'm fully aware."

"This will just bring more of 'em down on us." He said, gesturing at the pile in his lap.

Her eyes flashed fire and her smile morphed into something feral. "I'm counting on it." She said, pulling out the map. Buffy switched on the overhead light, scanning the map for a moment. "When we get there, I want you to get up as high as you can." She paused, reaching up and switching the light off. "I'll try and get you as close as I can to something, but you might need to wait in the truck while I clear a path."

Daryl nodded in understanding, stuffing the ammo in the backpack she had thrown at him. He put a few in his belt loop for easy access as Buffy put the truck in gear and pulled away.

She picked up her iPod, scrolling through it quickly until she found what she was looking for. A slow smile spread across her face as The Black Keys 'Gold on the Ceiling' started up. She reached for the volume. "I always did like to make a grand entrance."

Daryl eyed her warily, but didn't comment. He was starting to think she might actually be insane.

*o*o*

Oz walked back into camp with Carol. He had told her what he was, how he knew Sophia had fought hard against the Walkers, how she had been strong even in her final moments. The woman seemed grateful to know, even a little surprised by the strength her daughter had been capable of. She'd taken the werewolf thing pretty well too, but Oz suspected it was too much for her to even be able to comprehend at the moment.

He looked around camp and frowned when he noticed the missing truck. "Hey, anyone seen Buffy?"

Shane looked up from cleaning his gun and nodded. "Yep, girl took off to the FEMA shelter I got the supplies for Carl from. Said she was gonna kill every Walker in the place." Shane shook his head snickering. "Man, that girl is off her rocker."

Oz just looked at Shane, blinking in disbelief. "And you didn't even try to stop her?"

"I ain't her keeper." Shane chuckled, shaking his head. "You also didn't see what she was packing. If she actually knows how to use them swords I didn't want to be on the receiving end of one."

Oz shook his head and Rick walked over after overhearing part of the conversation. "I saw Daryl leave with her. Looked like they may have been arguing beforehand, but I definitely saw them leave together."

Oz rolled his eyes; of course Buffy would have to be a drama queen now. He understood the motivation behind it, he really did, but sometimes it annoyed the hell out of him when she acted recklessly like this. He shook his head, sighing in defeat. "If they aren't back by sunrise I'm going after them."

Rick nodded. "I'll go with you."

Shane stood up then nodding at the two. "You can count me in too. I did offer to go with her, but she wasn't havin' it." He watched as Oz and Rick gave each other knowing looks and frowned at them.

Oz shrugged, nodding at Rick. "He's gonna find out eventually, may as well include him now."

Rick nodded at the redhead, looking sadly at the man who had once been his closest friend. Shane was different now. He was colder, distant, and sometimes when he caught the other man watching him he got a feeling that there was hatred in his eyes. Oh, he knew why. He hadn't wanted to believe it at first, but the guilt on Lori's face was an obvious giveaway. It was also obvious in the way Shane would look at Lori when he thought no one was paying attention. Rick could forgive them. Hell, he knew neither of them had done it to betray him. They'd both believed he was dead when it happened, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"We should get some rest." Rick said to Shane who was looking at him in bewilderment. "I'll have Dale wake us if they comeback before dawn."

*o*o*

They reached the school less than a minute later, Buffy hauling ass the entire way. She didn't even wait for the truck to come to a full stop before she yanked up the emergency break and jumped out. In a moment of visual clarity Daryl watched as her tiny booted foot shot out, connecting with the nearest Walker and literally sending its head flying off its body. The body collapsed the next second and Buffy unsheathed her swords so quickly that if he'd have blinked he wouldn't have seen it.

He realized the next instant what it meant to be a Slayer. She was incredible. She spun the swords in her hands once, the truck lights catching the gleam of the blades, before she was off.

She attacked the herd straight on, with no forethought to her own safety. She didn't hesitate. There was no fear in her at all, and Daryl found himself pressing his face to the glass to get a better look at her.

She was a whirlwind of motion. Her body bending in ways he didn't think was possible. She sliced through the dead like butter; there was no other way to describe it. She moved like a violent dancer, and part of him realized how dangerous she could have been to them all if she had been a different sort.

Her moves seemed to be choreographed. It was a mantra of swipe up, swipe down, swipe sideways, and kick. The combination of movements repeated several times, almost to quickly for his eyes to follow. She had told him what she was, but he hadn't understood, not really. He understood now. He understood with perfect clarity and he was awestruck. She was a superhero, the real deal, and he wanted her. She was beauty, grace, and death wrapped in a tiny package. The thoughts that began to run rampant in his mind made him flinch with guilt. He closed his eyes and shook his head to clear it. He jumped as the door opened and he pulled his gun, aiming before his eyes opened to see that Buffy had opened his door.

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, observing his heavy breathing and dilated eyes. "I took out most of them, but more are coming. We don't have much time."

Daryl lowered the gun and nodded, feeling stupid as fuck. He took hold of the hand she offered him and allowed her to pull him out of the vehicle. He felt a bit lightheaded at her touch, but he managed to quickly follow her to what must have been a medical trailer. She laced her fingers together, nodding at him. He quickly put his boot in her hands, feeling her true strength for the first time as she boosted him onto the roof.

He landed on his feet but stumbled, grasping the backpack full of ammo tightly. He turned and watched as more Walkers poured in from every direction. His eyes widened in horror, but Buffy didn't seem fazed at all. She attacked with the same ferocity as before, not even blinking in surprise, and just like that Daryl pulled his gun and began firing.

*o*o*

Rick stepped in the tent, watching his wife try to hide her tears. "You alright?"

Lori shook her head, wiping her nose. "Carl was devastated Rick."

He sighed sadly, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "I know."

Lori rubbed her hand along her flat stomach, thinking of the baby growing inside of her. She wanted to tell Rick. It was on the tip of her tongue even now, but she found herself speaking of Buffy instead. "Do you think Buffy will be alright?"

Rick shrugged, kissing the side of her neck. "Oz actually seemed more annoyed than worried. I'm sure if he thought there was something for us to be worried about he would have went after her the second he found out."

Lori nodded. "You're probably right." She sighed, squeezing his arm. "You should have seen her with Carl, Rick. She played with him all day." Lori swallowed the lump in her throat. "We were all able to get so much work done and h-he was having so much fun…"

Rick nodded, squeezing her tighter as a lump formed in his throat. He kissed the top of his wife's head, but he didn't respond. What could he possibly say?

*o*o*

Daryl was having difficulty aiming in the dark, so he stuck to the outside of the herd as it surrounded Buffy. She had been fighting for… He didn't even know how long now, but she didn't seem to be showing signs of fatigue. A normal person would have keeled over at this point, but she remained as graceful as ever. He could hardly see her anymore. She was covered from head to toe in blood and gore, another aspect of what he admired in her. She wasn't squeamish.

The cement was littered with blood and bodies, some of them not completely dead yet, but the herd was finally dwindling. He had ammo left, because he made sure each shot counted.

The herd dwindled even further under Buffy's onslaught, her body twirling mechanically, slashing everything in her wake. When Daryl felt safe enough, he found an easy way down, and began to take out the remaining Walkers. He switched between the gun and his knife, trying to draw less Walkers in his direction. They fought for another ten minutes before the last Walker within sight finally fell.

Daryl and Buffy panted as they looked at each other a long time, then slowly a smile he couldn't hold back bloomed across his face, and he began to laugh. "Woo!" He shouted, pumping his fist. "That was…" He ran up to her, shaking his hand as if cooling a burn. "You're… God damn girl!"

Buffy giggled at his antics. "Yah." She nodded.

"We need to celebrate. Look around girl, there's got to be enough supplies here to last us a year." He said, walking over to a nearby military tent and looking inside. "Ammo and weapons too."

Buffy grinned, finding his excitement contagious before she finally realized how revolting she must look. Her nose scrunched up in disgust. "I'll tell you what." She said coming up behind him. "You check things out, I'm gonna go see if the showers in the locker rooms still work." She shook her head. "I've been covered in some pretty gross stuff before, but I do believe this is the foulest smelling shit I've ever had the displeasure of being covered in."

Daryl grinned. "Yah, I think ya' got some brain in your hair."

Buffy grimaced and made a face as she felt the spongy wetness stuck in her hair. "Yes definitely shower first, pillage later." She muttered.

Daryl shook his head trying to stop the laugh he could feel bubbling in his throat as he checked out another tent.

Buffy started to make her way up to the school, but stopped turning back. "Daryl." She said, watching as he poked his head out of the tent and met her eyes. "Be careful, I don't feel anything around here anymore, but others could have heard us."

His eyes softened and he nodded. "Always am."

*o*o*

It was a few hours later when Buffy emerged from the school. She had changed into a pair of fairly clean yoga pants and tank top she had found in one of the lockers. Her hair had been a disaster of epic proportions, which took her a full hour to get thoroughly clean. It took her another thirty minutes just to scrub the coagulated blood off her skin, and she thanked the maker for high school girls, and their penchant for bringing a whole salon with them where ever they went.

Daryl looked up as he dragged a nearby body into the pile for burning. "Didn't know someone could shower that long."

Buffy grimaced. "I don't think you quite understand the amount of crap that was in my hair. I must have lathered, rinsed, and repeated ten different times."

Daryl smirked, dropping the dead Walker unceremoniously in the pile. "Come on, I got somethin' to show ya'."

Buffy followed Daryl over to the bed of the truck, and laughed. There were three bags of beef jerky, two cans of peaches, a bottle of water, a pack of cigarettes, and an unopened bottle of Johnnie Walker sitting in the truck bed.

"Thought ya' might be hungry." He said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Buffy grinned, "And the Johnnie Walker and cigarettes?"

He shrugged, looking at the ground almost shyly. "Thought we could celebrate after we ate."

She walked up to him, her grin softening into a smile. "I think that sounds fantastic." She said, before hopping into the bed of the truck.

He looked up meeting her eyes, and the softness of her expression took his breath away. He broke contact, before nodding at the food. "Go on then." He held up his blood covered hands. "I'm gonna…"

Buffy nodded in understanding, "Probably a good idea." She snorted as he began to walk away. "You should probably get the back of your neck too. There's Walker blood on it."

Daryl frowned and then rolled his eyes when he remembered rubbing the back of his neck just moments before. _'Fuckin' pussy,'_ he chided himself.

*o*o*

Oz and Rick had been up for a while when the sun finally started to rise, they nodded to each other in silent communication as they approached Dale's RV. Dale was just coming off watch, as Andrea was taking up hers when he noticed them. He didn't ask any questions, just held the door open as they approached. Rick nodded at him gratefully as they stepped inside, and both he and Oz began to load up on weapons. Rick taking his side arm, and grabbing the Twelve-Gage for Shane.

As Oz strapped on his short sword, and clipped his dagger to his belt, his ears began to pick up the low sound of crying in the other room. He frowned, looking at Rick. "Give me a minute will you?"

Rick nodded, as Oz approached the bedroom door. Frowning, but shrugging all the same.

Oz tapped lightly before entering, and his heart damn near broke at the sight. Carol was curled in a ball; her face red and puffy, eyes squeezed shut as she sobbed her heart out. He hated this feeling of helplessness. He knew that's why Buffy had left; hell, he knew that's why she had taken Daryl too. Oz had seen the look on the Hunter's face last night and so did Buffy. She knew exactly what the man needed after the blow of losing Sophia. She knew what Oz needed too, but unfortunately until they got to the pack in Alabama he wouldn't be safe enough to go through the change freely. The danger of hurting someone was too great, not to mention if he attacked a Walker in his wolf form and ended up eating the thing, he might end up deathly ill. Neither seemed like a viable option. He could go through the change while keeping his mental faculties intact, but it was a huge strain and pointless when Oz needed to just let go.

As he watched Carol cry, he realized how much these people were beginning to mean to him. Not just to him, but to the wolf too. There was a reason Oz never joined a pack of his own. He was an alpha, and though it was possible to live in a pack with two alpha males, things could get very complicated during a full moon. Next to Buffy, he didn't think his wolf could feel that way about normal humans, but it seemed its protective nature was being directed at these people. His wolf was beginning to recognize them as pack, and he really didn't know what that meant.

"Carol." Oz whispered, coming to crouch beside the bed.

The woman's blue eyes opened and she looked at him a long time before she spoke, her voice hoarse. "My baby died in a tree. She died alone in a tree." A new wave of sobs began to rack her body, and Oz could not take anymore.

He had done this for Buffy so many times; it came as second nature to him. He gathered the woman in his arms and rocked her back and forth, bringing what little comfort he could.

That was how Rick found them. Carol crying into Oz's shirt practically curled up in his lap. Both men's eyes met and Rick nodded in understanding. Buffy and Daryl could wait a little longer.

*o*o*

Daryl emerged from the school about thirty minutes later, just as the morning light began to filter into the sky. It actually hadn't taken him that long to wash up. He spent a good portion of the time berating himself for acting like some school kid with his first crush. He didn't know how to do this. He didn't know how to be her friend when he felt this way. Not when every time he was around her he felt like a stuttering fool.

Sophia was on his mind too. He hadn't even thought about her since before him and Buffy left the farm. He understood now why Buffy let him come along with her. It hadn't made sense at first. Not when it was plain as day that Buffy could have handled all the Walkers on her own. She had somehow known instinctively that he needed vengeance and he needed to see things weren't as hopeless as he felt the minute he'd heard Carol start to cry. It had worked too. She had managed to restore what little hope he still had left.

He walked up along the side of the truck, and looked at Buffy in surprise. She had already finished off a can of peaches, and was half way through a bag of beef jerky.

When Buffy looked up and noticed him watching her with that look on his face, she blushed. "It's a Slayer thing."

Daryl nodded, but didn't comment. He slid up into the bed of the truck. "Hand me one of them bags." He said pointing at the jerky.

Buffy smiled and did as requested. They sat quietly eating for a while, enjoying the silence and watching as the sky slowly lightened further. Buffy reached for the bottle, passing it to Daryl. "You wanna do the honors?"

Daryl smirked, taking the bottle from her and uncapping it. He took a large drink, before handing it back to her. They repeated this a few times before he set it aside, reaching for the pack of cigarettes. He lit one and passed her the pack, their fingers brushing and sending a jolt through his system. He wondered if she felt it too when she locked eyes with him and blushed. He watched her quickly look away and begin chewing on her bottom lip. He wondered what she was thinking about when her words made him choke on the cigarette smoke he'd just pulled into his lungs.

"Do you know how to hotwire a car?" She asked, completely unfazed by his surprise.

"Why the hell ya' think I know how to do that?" He growled defensively.

Buffy noticed the hurt in his eyes at her words and immediately regretted asking. "Calm down Mr. Sensitive. I was only asking because if we could hotwire a supply truck, we wouldn't have to make as many trips hauling all this stuff back to the farm."

He relaxed a bit at her words, cursing himself on the inside for his insecurity. He was silent a long time before looking away guiltily. "Yah." He sighed. "I know how."

Buffy studied him; she could see the shame and remorse on his face, as if she would cast judgment on him because he had a past. "Daryl?" When she had his eyes, she continued. "Everyone has a past; everyone has done things in their lives they regret," She paused. "Myself included." Buffy looked down, hiding her own shame and regret as past memories surfaced. "But, I have always been one to say, it's not what we've done, it's what we do that counts."

He shook his head slightly. "I doubt ya've done the kinda stupid shit I have."

She looked at him sharply. "I think you underestimate my ability to be stupid."

He shook his head smiling slightly. "I'll believe it when I see it." He nodded. "Heard ya' talkin' to Lori yesterday. Ya' gave her some good advice, and now here ya' are advisin' me." His smile turned into a smirk, as he leaned back against the wall of the truck bed and took a drink from the bottle. "Ya' shoulda been a shrink."

Buffy blushed, not sure if he was giving her a compliment or if he was teasing. Probably a bit of both, she nodded. "You're probably right. I was pretty good at psychology when I was in college." She said smiling shyly. "I even was a high school counselor for part of a year."

Daryl looked at her impressed. Thinking he may have gone to school more if he had a councilor that looked like her. It was just another reminder why he wasn't good enough for her. Instead he said. "College girl, huh?"

Buffy snorted and shook her head. "Oh, I didn't graduate or anything. I only went for my freshman year and a semester of my sophomore. I had to drop out because…" She trailed off at the memories of her mother. Buffy shook her head and took a large breath, trying to hold back the tears her memory always caused. She met Daryl's eyes. "Because that was the year my mom got sick."

Daryl looked at her in immediate understanding. So apparently they did have something in common. "I lost my mom too." He began quietly. He had Buffy's full attention now. "Don't remember exactly how old I was; just remember comin' home and findin' the house burnt to the ground." Daryl shook his head. "It was my mom in that house. My mom they were haulin' out in a body bag."

Buffy sighed sadly, deciding she needed to talk about it. She hadn't had someone who understood what losing a parent was like since Tara. "It was the year I died." She paused taking a deep breath. "My mom had a tumor. I-it was real bad for a while, but the doctors were able to remove it. My mom got better. Hell, I don't remember her so happy." Buffy shook her head. "She just went on her first date, since…God, I can't even remember." A small smile graced her lips. "She teased me after she came back." She laughed. "I was nineteen and still had trouble thinking of my mom as any kind of sexual person." Buffy grinned. "She told me she left her bra in her date's car."

Daryl found this utterly amusing and snickered in appreciation.

Buffy smiled brightly at his reaction, and then her face dropped as the memories of the next day came crashing down. "I went out that night and discovered a geek-boy decided to create a sex-bot." Daryl raised his eyebrows. "Actually it was a girlfriend-bot to be more accurate. He created a machine," She made a face. "That was actually capable of love. She was incredibly unstable, and I spent most of the next day tracking Warren, the geek-boy in question, and her." She sighed sadly. "When I got home I found my mom on the couch…She'd had an aneurism and it was too late."

Daryl shook his head. "I'm sorry."

Buffy smiled sadly. "My mom was a good woman. She wasn't just my mom; she was a mom to all of my friends. She was even a mom to Spike, if I'm being honest. She gave advice to all of us." She shook her head, and laughed. "I guess that where I get it from."

Daryl nodded, remaining silent for a long time as he passed her the bottle. He decided it was a good idea to change subjects, especially from the sadness he could clearly see in Buffy's eyes. "Was thinkin'." He said. "I know you gotta stick around and protect us because of your dream and all, but I don't think we should completely clear this place out yet."

Buffy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was thinkin'," Daryl continued. "We could move half of the essentials and hide them in here somewhere. That way if someone comes lookin' it looks like the place has been picked through. The other half can go to the farm. Probably not a good idea to unload it though, Hershel seems more uneasy with us every day. I don't think we'll be stayin' much longer."

He watched as she worked the plan out in her head even further. Her smile spreading immediately, her body seemed to spark with excitement the next moment, and before he even knew what was happening, she grasped his shoulders. "And with the Walkers coming this way…This place will be perfect. Daryl Dixon you're a genius."

Her eyes sparked with happiness and before he even realized what was happening, she kissed him. He froze in utter confusion, his mind shutting down completely. Her lips were soft as they grazed his, and he sucked in a breath of surprise at the warmth that shot through him.

Buffy pulled away panting and they looked at each other a long moment. Daryl's heart was pounding in his ears as he watched her. Her eyes moved back to his lips and he could honestly say he didn't know who moved first, but the next second their mouths crashed together again. His arms automatically came around her tiny frame, pulling her into his lap. Her hands were in his hair, on his face, and when he felt her tongue swipe across his bottom lip he thought he would lose it completely.

The sound of a horn tore them apart, both their eyes traveling to the familiar truck as it drove up the grassy embankment they were parked on. Shane was the first out of the truck and Buffy's eyes narrowed as he began to chuckle.

"You know, if ya' two just wanted some time alone…" His voice trailed off as he saw the amount of bodies littering the asphalt of the school. His face lost color as his eyes moved back to the young blonde and Daryl. "W-what the fuck?"

Rick and Oz emerged the next second. Oz patted Shane on the back as he walked past him. "Welcome to our secret club, man."

Shane's eyes widened as he looked up to see the shit eating grin spread across Buffy's lips. "We have hats."


	9. Chapter Eight

Oh my god! You guys are fantastic! Thank you so much for the amazing reviews. Please keep them coming, they're like chocolate. I cant get enough.

Special thanks to my wonderful beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter Eight

"So, let me get this straight…" Shane said, looking at Buffy in disbelief. "I'm supposed to believe that you're some kinda superhero chick meant to save the world from evil and the like?" He chuckled, ignoring their glares as he picked up the bottle she and Daryl had been sharing.

Buffy picked up the pack of cigarettes, lighting one. She was getting more pissed by the minute and if this ass didn't shut-up, she would shut his mouth for him. He was a complete and utter pig.

"Come on now, honey. What hospital did you escape from?" Shane laughed, shaking his head and passing the bottle to Daryl.

' _It was the honey that did it,'_ Daryl thought with amusement as he watched her eyes narrow into slits. Her face went red and her mouth pursed in frustration, before a saccharine smile crossed her lips. "Would you like a demonstration?" She said, before standing up, hopping out of the bed of the truck and tossing her smoke into the grass.

Shane raised an eyebrow. "What you got in mind?"

Buffy's eyes flashed with something feral, but Shane seemed to miss it. Her eyelashes fluttered before her persona quickly changed and she giggled almost flirtatiously. She bit her lip, twirling a golden strand of hair that came loose from her bun.

If Daryl hadn't been studying her posture and eyes he would have been pissed to high heaven. Hell, he knew she was goading Shane, but the thought alone of them together made him want to smash Shane's face in, or possibly puke, he still couldn't decide. He scowled when he saw the slow grin appear on Shane's face. ' _Fuckin' prick!'_

"Well," Buffy said in a sweet voice laced with sarcasm, before raising an eyebrow. "You used to be a cop, right? Why don't you try and arrest me?"

Shane's grin froze, before slowly slipping into a frown of confusion. "You want me to try and detain you?"

Buffy shrugged. "What's the big? You think I'm just nuts anyway. What do you got to lose?"

Shane raised his eyebrows, his eyes quickly moving to Daryl's.

"Don't look at me. Ya' dug your own damn grave." Daryl grunted, shaking his head. "I ain't helpin' ya' out of this one."

Shane looked back at Buffy, suddenly wary of his choice to dismiss the girl's claims. "Naw, I ain't gonna hit no girl."

"You should have thought of that before you decided to call me honey." Buffy said, her face going cold as she dropped the flirtatious façade and turned deadly. "I promise I'll go easy on you." She said, ignoring the fact that the alcohol had her channeling Faith when she swung her hips like a hussy.

Daryl's eyes widened as did Shane's, but Shane's brain must have finally been catching up with his mouth, because he didn't take the bait. Daryl found a bit of respect for the man in that moment, because instead he got a contemplative look on his face and stood up in the truck bed.

Shane turned his back to the girl as he finally really looked at the bodies scattered across the pavement. He began to think like the cop he was, finally realizing that most of the bodies had been sliced and diced. There were maybe a quarter of them with obvious gunshot wounds to the head. It was also quite obvious that whoever did the slicing had found themselves surrounded by the Geeks more than once. He finally admitted to himself that any normal person could not have survived.

His eyes caught Rick's as he and Oz dragged off what was left of a Walker wearing a familiar looking hunting jacket. He swallowed at the knowing look Rick shot him; looks like his partner figured it out. _'Well fuck. That's gonna be a fun conversation.'_

He shook his head and turned back around. "You ain't lyin'are you?"

Buffy relaxed slightly at his words. His cocky attitude dropping as he finally started to accept the truth. "No, I'm not."

"And you ain't crazy neither?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

A slight smile graced her lips. "Well, I'm as sane as one can be after fighting evil for the last fifteen years." She paused and shook her head. "But no, I'm not an escaped psych patient if that's what you mean."

Shane ran his hands over his skull trimmed hair, before sitting down heavily on the edge of the truck bed. "I don't get it." He said shaking his head. "Why the hell is it girls?"

Buffy's face went cold again, her eyes narrowing and Shane held up his hands at the look she shot him. "I didn't mean… Girls ain't called the fairer sex for nothin'." He sighed. "I don't mean they ain't strong. I mean war… It's dangerous. Why do that to a female?"

Even though Shane had managed dig himself a bigger hole, Buffy did understand what he was asking. She took pity on him and instead of berating him for his sexist opinion; she answered his question to the best of her ability. "Truthfully, no one's ever explained to me why." She paused sighing. "I have a few theories though." She leaned against the side of the truck. "Imagine you're a newly risen soulless vamp looking for a quick midnight snack. Do you A: go after the big strapping jock who clearly has a few hundred pounds on you, and considering you're newly risen it's not exactly like you're gonna know how strong you are until you test it. Or are you gonna B: go after the young innocent female who looks like she took a wrong turn right into your cemetery."

Shane's eyes widened in understanding; he was definitely a lot less stupid than she thought. "I also believe that even back when the First Slayer was created we were considered the fairer sex, as you put it. The Shadow Men who created her probably thought a woman would be easier to control." A slow dangerous smile crossed her features as she shook her head. "They were wrong, of course."

"What happened?" Shane asked his curiosity piqued.

Buffy shrugged. "Sineya, that's her name. She was stripped of her humanity when the demon essence merged with her; she slaughtered the closest shaman and ran off into the night." She shook her head. "The people of her village mistook her for a demon and banished her. She became a recluse after that and spent the rest of her life hunting and killing demons alone, shunned by the people she protected. The Shadow Men she left alive tried to find her, but never did. She had no guide, no Watcher, but she did her job and she did it well. She protected the innocent and even managed to kill the last Old One that still walked this plane of existence."

"But you're not like her." Daryl finally spoke up.

Buffy graced him with an affectionate smile. "No, I'm not. Don't get me wrong, I've had more than ample opportunities to throw away my human side and become like her." She shrugged. "I guess I'm just too stubborn for my own good, because that's never been my idea of an option. There's too many people I care about to lose myself to power."

"So, why the hell couldn't you stop this?" Shane gestured around at the bodies that still littered the ground.

"Because, we were being blocked," Said a familiar voice as he stepped behind Buffy.

Buffy froze, her hand moving to the dagger in her belt. She looked at Daryl and he nodded, pulling out the gun he still carried. She wasted no time and spun, bringing her leg up in an ark and slamming her foot into the short demons chest. His back slammed into the door of the adjacent vehicle, her hand shooting out and pinning him by his neck. The dagger pierced the metal of the truck next to the half-demon's head and she grinned at him in a way that would make most people shudder. "Whistler, just the demon I've been looking for. I see your wardrobe hasn't changed or that cheap cologne you wear."

Shane's mouth dropped open in shock. "Holy fuck!" He shouted as he scrambled back, thankful he hadn't taken her up on her offer earlier. He gulped, watching as the man turned purple. Her fingers let up just in time, and the man coughed.

"So tell me Whistler, why the fuck didn't I get heads up on this one? Were the Power's just slow on the uptake, or were they a part of it?" Buffy snarled, her hand squeezing his throat again, just enough to let him know she wasn't kidding. "I suggest you start talking before I decide to make good on my hat threat from years ago."

Rick and Oz came running towards them at the commotion, both of them pulling their weapons. It was Oz who stopped first, his lip curling above his teeth as he was hit with the obvious odor of something otherworldly. "Buffy, who is this?" Oz questioned, his voice slightly altered as the wolf stirred at the sign of a threat.

Rick stepped back at the deepening of Oz's voice. His eyes widened as he realized the man's teeth and nails had elongated slightly, his eyes changing from a bright blue to almost coal black. Rick shook his head as he watched how Oz sized up the short dark haired man in a leather jacket and fedora.

Buffy's eyes landed on the redhead. "I forgot you never had the pleasure. Oz this is Whistler, the balance-demon that sent Angel to help me, back when I was still a naive little girl, back when no one knew about Angel's little soul loophole." Buffy turned her head back towards Whistler, a bitter smile crossing her lips. "But I'm guessing you did, didn't you. You knew what would happen, and you never once tried warning me, even after you saw what was happening between us." She shook her head, clucking her tongue at him. "So tell me how was this any different than before?"

Oz growled low in his throat. "Can I eat him?"

Shane's eyes widened as he took in the changes in Oz. "What the…" He uttered.

"Werewolf." Daryl clarified, his gun still drawn on the short demon.

"We don't know what happened." Whistler croaked out passed the constriction in a rush, his hands held up in surrender. "We realized something was wrong four months ago, but something was blocking us, every warning, every message we tried sending to you and the others never got through." He felt Buffy's grip loosen and he shook his head. "Whatever caused this didn't want us to be able to warn anybody until it was too late."

"But Willow said…"

"That it wasn't mystical, we know. Something's blocking her too." Whistler acknowledged with a nod.

"What could be powerful enough to block the Powers and Willow?" Buffy asked, her eyes widening at the implications.

"Our guess is an Old One, or another fallen Power." Whistler stated.

Buffy's hands shook as she clutched the demon's leather jacket. "And what Power may I ask, is capable of plague?"

"Not one that's been of this realm for a very long time kid, and if I'm being honest I highly doubt it's him. I remember him pretty well and this just isn't his style." Whistler said shaking his head. "He left because of daddy issues, not because he really cared much about humans. It wasn't even banishment, not like Jasmine. He chose to leave."

Buffy frowned. "Who?"

"Apollo." Whistler answered.

Buffy sucked in a sharp breath, as did Oz. His features quickly melting back to his human visage as horror filled his eyes.

"As in the Greek God… That Apollo?" Buffy breathed. "You…you think it's him?"

Whistler shook his head. "Not really, but you asked which Power would be capable. He's the only one who is not part of our court anymore."

"Whistler." Buffy warned. "Now would not be a good time for you to get cryptic on me."

He grinned at her. "Inside The Deeper Well is a tomb guarded by a powerful being. She is half-human, half-lion. If someone where to say, get past her and open the sarcophagus inside that tomb, it could definitely have caused this."

"What's in the tomb?" Buffy whispered.

The demon met her eyes. "Ever hear of Pandora, kid."

Buffy's eyes widened in horror, her arms falling to her sides as Whistler snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"What. The. Fuck!" Shane shouted.

*o*o*

Back at the farm, Hershel watched the group who had taken refuge there. He heard the commotion last night, seen Miss Summers leave with the Hunter. He saw the weapons she left with; saw the determination in her eyes and everything seemed to fall into place in that moment. He knew exactly what she was.

He never made it a secret that he despised his father, but no one knew the whole truth. No one knew what had driven his father to drink, what had caused such resentment between father and son. No one knew he once had a sister.

He was glad the young blonde had still not returned. His first instinct had been to tell her to leave and never come back, but he realized how unfair that would be. She was not responsible for her Calling, but the men who trained her were. He wondered how long she had been one. A year maybe, she seemed a bit too old considering Nora was only sixteen when it happened, but he knew he didn't know everything.

Hershel hadn't found out the whole truth of what happened to his sister until his father's passing. He had found a strange book and letters from Nora stuffed in it. It had told him enough to understand that his sister was special, but that didn't take away from the fact that his father had trusted those men and she was dead six months later. It was the moment he found out the full truth that he found his faith, because if there was that kind of true evil in the world, there had to be a God, there had to be.

Hershel looked as Patricia headed towards the barn. He sighed, his heart breaking. If Buffy was what he thought she was and she was here, there was a good chance he was being a fool in holding out hope for his sick family members. _'Could it be true? Were his wife and stepson already dead?'_

*o*o*

After Whistler left Buffy was barely able to speak. She had looked at the men sadly, before suggesting they finish stacking the bodies and start collecting as many supplies as they could bring back with them. She had gone immediately over to the nearest body and began dragging it into the pile Daryl had first started.

It had gone on like that for almost an hour. The men stacking as many usable items they could find into the back of the trucks, as Buffy continued to drag the dead across the asphalt in silence. Daryl found himself worrying about her. She had a look on her face that he had never seen before. It was fear in its rawest form. Whatever that thing had been talking about must be bad, because he never thought he would see her scared like she was now. Not after watching her take out as many Walkers as she did last night.

He watched her hand tremble as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Her eyes met his for a moment, before she quickly looked away. She continued over to the next body stopping short and staring at it a long time. She bent down studying it, before a tear made its way down her cheek. That's when he realized it was a child. She stood then and walked towards the school never once looking back.

Daryl started to follow her, but was stopped by Oz. "I'll talk to her."

Daryl nodded watching him walk off, but some instinct told him to follow. He waited a few minutes, before looking at Shane and Rick. Whatever they had been quietly arguing about had been solved, because they both looked at him with understanding.

"Go." Rick nodded. "We got this."

*o*o*

Oz found Buffy sitting on the steps inside the school smoking a cigarette. Her hands trembled as she brought the filter to her lips.

Oz looked at her a long moment before saying. "I thought it's against the rules to smoke in school."

She took a drag, before saying. "I think we've passed that point."

He walked over, sitting down next to her. "Yeah, I know, just wanted to get your attention."

Buffy smirked. "Well, you got it."

They sat a long while before Oz finally asked what was on his mind. "What's really wrong?"

Buffy stayed quiet a long time, before she finally spoke. "I have all these dreams Oz." She shook her head. "I have all these things that I want from life and when Faith and Kennedy took over, I finally started to feel like I could get them. Like the idea of one day meeting someone and having a life wasn't a concept derived from a fairytale." Buffy took another drag of her cigarette, blowing out a plume of smoke. "And, even after all this happened and I got that dream…" She shrugged.

"You thought you could beat this." Oz finished for her. "You thought it was gonna be easy."

Buffy shrugged. "Not easy. Just… I thought it was gonna be saving people. I thought we were gonna start rebuilding civilization, and that's what the Powers were asking of me." She shook her head. "But that's not what they want at all."

Daryl stepped out of the shadows, knowing Buffy and Oz had both sensed his presence long before he revealed himself. "What ya' think they want?"

Buffy sighed sadly closing her eyes, before looking at Daryl. "They want an army powerful enough to beat what's coming. They want me to lead again." Buffy swallowed thickly, looking to Oz. "But I can't, I can't be the one responsible for everyone who… Not again…" She shook her head, wiping at the tears that began to gather in her eyes. "It almost broke me last time. I can't do it again."

"Then we'll find another way." Oz murmured, laying his hand on her shoulder.

"Yah," She nodded. "Except we can't do that without Willow. I need her, I need Dawnie, and I need…" She sucked in a shuddering breath, her voice cracking. "I need Giles."

Oz looked at her sadly. "I know." He sighed. "Look I know we have a few spell books in our bags, maybe there's something in them that could help us in getting ahold of the others. We'll figure it out Buffy, I promise."

She sighed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, your right. We always do, don't we?"

"It's why you tend to piss the Powers off so much. You always change the rules about halfway through." He said smirking slightly.

A small smile crossed her lips, but she didn't comment. "We should go help the others."

She looked up as Daryl approached her, surprised when he held out his hand. "Come on then, let's get what we need. We can come back for the rest tomorrow."

Their eyes met as she allowed him to help her to her feet, but this time he was the one who quickly looked away. He dropped her hand and turned towards the exit, not looking back as he made his way out of the building.

*o*o*

They were on their way back to the farm when Buffy pulled over on the side of the road. She was chewing on her bottom lip, her teeth worrying the delicate flesh. It was a sure sign that she was nervous. Daryl had noticed the habit pretty early on, and he found it adorable at times.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye saying. "I think we need to talk about what happened."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at her. He knew exactly what she was referring to, but the nervous storm that began to take place in his stomach stopped him from mentioning the kiss. "What happened?"

Buffy chuckled humorlessly. "Oh man, I feel like I'm having déjà vu, except I'm the other party." She paused, looking at Daryl fully. "We kissed, Daryl. We kissed and I thought it was nice." She held up her hand before he could say anything. "I just need to say this, so hear me out." She took a deep breath. "I don't know what's going on between us, but I know you feel it too. I like you, I like you a lot and I would like to explore this," She nervously gestured between the both of them. "If you're willing." She shook her head. "I get if you don't want to. There won't be any hard feelings if that's the case. I'm already aware that I'm not exactly the easiest person to get to know, and my baggage pretty much has baggage of its own so…" The feeling of a callused thumb on her lips stopped her babbling and she looked at him in surprise.

"I would like it." Daryl whispered meeting her sparkling green eyes. "Ain't got no clue what I'm doin'." He sighed, shaking his head. "Never done this before, never met someone I wanted to try the long hall with, but I ain't never met someone like you neither." His thumb traced her bottom lip and she sucked in a shuddering breath as he leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against hers. "Does that answer your question?"

She looked at him wide eyed, before she nodded. "It does." She whispered, putting the truck back in drive. "It really does." She reached over and took his hand threading her fingers through his. "And don't worry about not knowing what you're doing. I'm not exactly well rounded in that department either. I've had a total of three relationships my whole life, and the last time I was with someone was almost ten years ago." She paused giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll just have to figure this stuff out together."

He sucked in a breath of surprise at her words, but didn't comment. Ten years? How someone as beautiful as her could not have men lining up around the corner just to get a piece was a mystery? Someone did this girl wrong. It was the only explanation he could think of, and if he ever found out who it was, they were going to regret the day they were ever born.

*o*o*

Buffy pulled up next to Rick's truck where Oz, Shane, Glen and T-Dog were unloading supplies. She looked around for Rick, but it was Daryl who spotted them first.

"Looks like there's trouble in paradise." He commented, watching as Rick threw up his hands in clear frustration.

Buffy followed his line of sight, and sighed. "I guess she finally told him."

"Yah," He agreed. "Or, he found out she was tryin' to hide she's pregnant."

Buffy looked at him surprised. "So it's finally been confirmed then."

"Saw her throwin' up yesterday mornin' when Carol was cookin' up that squirrel I brought back the other day." He nodded in Dale's direction. "Was gonna go say somethin' to her, but the old man beat me to it. Think Glen knows too. He's been doin' the pharmacy runs for us, probably got her one of them tests."

Buffy nodded, looking at the couple arguing. She sighed opening the door as Daryl followed suit. "I'm just glad I'm not in her shoes right now. That would suck beyond the telling of it."

"Yah," He smirked at her. "You and me both."

Buffy's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to find Hershel standing there.

"Miss Summers can I speak with you?" The man asked.

Buffy studied him, noticing his wary eyes, almost distrustful. He was a far cry from the sweet man she met a few days ago, and she found herself suddenly nervous. "Of course." She replied. Thankful when she felt Daryl move to follow.

Hershel stopped, turning to Daryl when he noticed him following. "I would like to speak with Miss Summers alone, if you don't mind."

Daryl immediately looked to Buffy, worry etched in his features. "It's okay." She assured, even though she didn't exactly feel that way herself. "I'll be fine."

Daryl nodded, a frown marring his features as he watched her go. He didn't like this. Something was up with the Farmer, and he was going to find out what. When they reached the house he moved to follow.


	10. Chapter Nine

A/N: Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews... Sorry for not replying to reviews... RL's been kinda sucky! I'll get to them in the next few days... Just realized I posted the unedited version of this. Oops! Here's the fix.

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter Nine

Buffy sat down in the chair across from Hershel not knowing what to expect. He stayed silent a long time studying her and Buffy couldn't help but fidget under his scrutiny. He must not have liked her going out and killing the Walkers last night, especially if his barn was any indication. She watched as he opened a drawer of the end table next to his chair, retrieving a leather-bound book and handing it to her. She was almost afraid to look at it, but found her eyes traveling to the cover of their own accord. She gasped when she saw the familiar cover.

"Where…How?" She breathed.

"I take it you've seen that before." Hershel commented.

Buffy gave a nod. "I've seen it, though Giles had one way older." Hershel gave her a confused look so she clarified, "My Watcher." She smiled meeting his eyes bravely. So he figured out who she was. She wondered how he had gotten a hold of 'Vampyr', if maybe he had been a Watcher in his youth.

"I'm going to tell you a story Miss Summers and you tell me if it sounds familiar?" He paused, waiting for her full attention before he continued. "When I was a young boy, some men showed up here on the farm; one of them we knew well. He was the local pastor at our church in town. The other two however we did not know, but I do remember they both had British accents." At Buffy's sharp intake of breath he paused. "I take it this also sounds familiar."

Buffy nodded. "Watchers."

"Yes," He confirmed. "Though, I didn't know anything about them or who they were at the time. They told my father they needed to speak to him about my sister."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Your…Your sister?" It all came slamming into perspective in that moment. Greene, god she remembered that name. When they'd been rebuilding the Watchers Council they came across several of the Council's dirty little secrets and Nora Greene had been at the top of the list. Buffy just happened to be the one to find her journal when they had scouted out the wreckage of the old Council building.

The girl's name had been obscured from the records because of what had occurred during her short time as Slayer. Neither Buffy nor Giles had heard of her before that moment, and it was quite obvious why. If her story had been released under the rules and regulations of the old Council it wouldn't have just been a black stain on their reputation, but any newly called Slayer who came across the story would never be able to trust her Watcher after reading about the terrifying ordeal.

"Your sister was Nora Greene." Buffy stated softly.

"She was." Hershel confirmed. "So, you've heard of her?"

She sighed sadly, nodding. "I have." She looked away. "Yes, I've definitely heard of her."

He watched her, saw the sadness enter her eyes, saw the way she hugged her arms around herself as understanding began to fill them. "I would very much appreciate it if you could tell me what happened to my sister leading up to her death. I know part of the truth, but nowhere near the full story. If you know anything at all…Please, Miss Summers, I need to understand."

Buffy stood then, heading to the window she could feel Daryl next to. She placed her hand against the area she knew he was leaning against. His presence was giving her the strength she needed to rehash this tale. She stared out the window a long time wondering if she should even tell Hershel at all. This story very well could jeopardize her presence on the farm. She watched sadly as Glen and Maggie started arguing, could just make out T-Dog as he laughed at something Dale said, she watched Carol walk past as if in a trance, her hands covered in dirt and cuts. Shane intercepted her, and the women barely acknowledged him as he guided her to a nearby log, helping her clean the wounds on her hands. She sighed, finally turning her attention back to Hershel. "Not to quote Jack Nicholson, but I'm not sure if you can handle the truth."

"I've been waiting for the truth for the past sixty-two years. I think I've earned it, don't you?" Hershel asked with bitterness lacing his voice.

She nodded. Her heart already heavy with the information she was going to tell him. This was a hard pill to swallow. "Nora's Watcher was insane." She started, turning and looking at Hershel fully. "He was a mad man obsessed with dark magic's and power." Buffy swallowed. "He was also a sadist." Hershel sucked in a sharp breath, anger filling his eyes.

"I don't know how they didn't know." Buffy continued softly. "The Council I mean, but apparently he managed to fool them. They vetted people pretty thoroughly back in my day and the way the Council is run now, or was, I should say." She shook her head. "There's no way in hell we would've let that happen."

She looked down, twisting her fingers together as she sucked in a breath. "Stanly Marcus wanted the perfect weapon. He thought the Council was weak, that the Slayer was weak and he began to devise a way to create a Slayer/Vampire hybrid under his complete control." She met Hershel's eyes then. "There was just one flaw in that theory. Slayer's keep their human souls when they're turned." She shook her head. "You can't really have a perfect weapon if it feels guilty for the things you want it to do." Buffy took a deep breath, trying to dispel the nausea this story always induced. "So, he devised a plan to break her before he had her turned. His co-conspirator was a vamp named Kane, a vamp almost as sadistic as Angelus was before he was cursed with a soul." She saw the confusion flash across his face, but he didn't comment. She was grateful; that was a topic she had no intention of getting into right now.

"He spent the first three months training her like any Watcher would. Once he gained her trust, he turned the tables. He broke her with magic at first. I won't go into detail, but the magic's he used…" Buffy looked away not wanting to watch the utter horror fill Hershel's eyes. "You don't want to know." She sighed sadly. "And when he realized that wasn't working he brought in Kane. Again, I won't go into detail, partly because I couldn't stomach what I was reading let alone repeat it." Tears filled Buffy's eyes and she tried to swallow them down, not wanting to look at Hershel's face. "They eventually turned her, but what they managed to do was bring the true Slayer essence out in her. When she awoke she killed Kane, tore his head off his shoulders. Marcus had gone to report her death to the Council, so she waited for him and when he returned…" Buffy shook her head. "She tore his liver out and made him eat it." She slowly raised her eyes. Hershel was white as a ghost and she could see the sheen of tears in his eyes. He wasn't looking at her, more like looking through her.

"Is she…" He choked. "Could she be…?"

"No." Buffy cut in. "Her last journal entry said she would rather die than spend her life fighting an unholy nature." Buffy looked away as the lump in her throat became the size of a golf ball. "She told the Council not to look for her, that…that she wanted to watch the sunrise one last time." She heard Hershel's sharp intake of breath, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. If she saw the man crying there would be no stopping her own tears.

He was quiet a long time as he tried to get his emotions under control, before he finally whispered. "She always did love the sunrise."

That was all she could take. She stood, her voice trembling as she choked. "I-I just… I need to use the…" She almost ran from the room in her hast to get away. She quickly headed down the hall, finding the bathroom and closing herself inside. She leaned her head against the door and squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to hold back her tears.

She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way. She hadn't been responsible for Nora. Her death happened well before Buffy was even born, but that hadn't made a difference. Slayers were connected; they relived memories of each other's battles through dreams, they relived past Slayers final moments and after she had found that journal Buffy spent two weeks having nightmares about the girl. She suspected a good portion of them weren't her overactive imagination either.

It made her sick what that man had done to the girl. She was a warrior for the light, and that sadistic bastard had tainted her. He hadn't just tortured her like Buffy made Hershel believe, he had taken every piece of innocence she had and shattered it. Marcus and Kane had made a game of seeing who could make her scream first and Nora had written it all out in minute detail, using the blood of the man who she should have been able to trust most.

Buffy stomach heaved as she remembered the metallic smell of the journal even after all these years. She barely made it to the toilet before she threw-up the meager contents of her stomach. She leaned her head against the cool porcelain, not exactly sanitary, but she could give a damn.

She remembered how much of a fight it had taken to get the girls name back in the books. She smiled almost lovingly as she remembered Giles temper on the subject, and now that she was somewhat older she understood Giles stance, but Buffy still remained firm in her decision. The girls needed to know this could happen, and they also needed to know it was okay to contact the Council if a Watcher ever made them uncomfortable. Buffy had gone even further in ensuring her girls safety after that tale. Seers became a regular thing at W.C., as well as Empaths. They had a mess of demons who joined the light side and vetted Watchers for the girls. Lorne was also a numero uno go-to when someone seemed shady. It became an almost perfect system, not infallible, but her girls definitely felt safe.

She wondered absently what Nora Greene would have been like had she been given the chance to actually grow as a Slayer. What she would have been like if she had a Watcher like Giles. Hell, after reading her journal, Buffy thought Quentin Travers would have been a better choice for the girl and his style of training was known to boarder on barbaric, but at least he hadn't been a rapist.

Buffy sighed getting to her feet and turning towards the sink. She was reaching for the faucet when she looked at the window and saw Daryl. She visibly jumped, but sighed in relief a second later.

He pressed his hand against the window and mouthed, "You okay?"

She nodded and walked towards it. She was just about to unlatch it when a blood curdling scream rang out. Their eyes clashed for the briefest of seconds before they both took off at a dead run. The hairs on Buffy's neck prickled as the feeling of a demon being in the vicinity overwhelmed her. She picked up her pace, just barely missing Hershel as she flew through the front door. She let her senses carry her in the direction of the demon, and when she saw it hovering over Hershel's terrified youngest, she kicked her Slayer speed into overdrive. Everything became a blur of motion, her lungs were on fire, her thighs burning, but she didn't stop, didn't hesitate. She reached Beth just as the Wendigo's claws came down, wrapping her arms around her and blocking the girl as Buffy's back took the brunt of the strike.

"Run." She hissed in Beth's ear through the stinging pain, pushing the girl away and turning to face the eight foot tall demon. It had no eyes, but Buffy knew from experience it didn't need them. It was covered in a matted grey fur with large patches missing in places. She vaguely heard people screaming behind her, but this wasn't their fight and she held up her hand yelling at them to stay back.

The creatures jaw opened almost unnaturally in a roar of fury, yellow and blood stained teeth gleaming in the waning sunlight. Spittle splattered on to Buffy's face and shirt and she grimaced. "Ugh, you seriously need a tic-tac." She snarked, wiping at her face, "Or possibly a case of them."

This pissed the creature off even more and it roared again, before it swung its razor sharp claws at her. This time she managed to duck, only to be backhanded about ten feet when she didn't have time to get away from its second strike.

She quickly rolled to her feet wiping the blood from her lip. She almost forgot how strong and fast Wendigos were and a feral smile crossed her face at the prospect of a challenge she hadn't had in quite some time. It charged her a second later, but this time she was ready for it. She twisted in the air preforming a perfect roundhouse kick as her boot connected with the demons jaw sending it spiraling backwards.

It snarled its outrage as it got to its feet and ran at her again. It almost reached her when the crossbow bolt pierced its skull. The demon slid to a halt and roared, swiping at the bolt until it dislodged. It rounded on Daryl and charged. Buffy took off after it before she even realized she was moving. She launched herself on to its back, using her momentum to make it veer off course just as it was a foot away from trampling Daryl. Their eyes met briefly and in his, Buffy could see the utter horror at how close he had just come to being Wendigo chow.

She didn't have much time to think on it though, as the thing began to buck like a goddamn bronco, snarling as its long arms tried swiping her off its back. She held fast, barely avoiding its claws more than once until it gave up and began running like hell was chasing it. She struggled, trying to get her arms around its large neck. It took a few attempts, but she finally managed. There were only two ways to kill it, and both weren't an option as Buffy couldn't get enough purchase to snap its neck. The second option was even less conceivable, fire didn't exactly work well once you hit light speed.

All Buffy could do was hold on, trying in vain to blindly reach the dagger she still had strapped to her belt. She didn't know how, but she finally managed to get her fingers around the hilt. She yanked it out just in time to see they were headed straight for the barn. "Oh shit!" she whispered, finally letting the screams from behind her penetrate her brain.

The Demon she was riding made a deep ugly noise in its throat, almost like a laugh. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she brought the blade down on its neck, praying to whatever God listening that she managed to sever the spinal cord from the things head before they hit the barn. It screeched in pain at her first blow, but didn't stop its pace. If anything it seemed to put on more speed. It was hard for her to get enough leverage to pierce the cord and when she finally managed to penetrate fully, she realized it was already too late.

The Wendigo collapsed, sliding across the gravel and sending Buffy soaring through the sidewall of the barn. Debris and rubble rained down on her as she slammed into the opposite wall, cracking her head so hard she saw stars. She had no time to recover from the blow, before the groans of several Walkers penetrated her throbbing skull. She jumped to her feet, regretting it as soon as the dizziness hit. She stumbled slightly, but took out the first Walker that came near her. Buffy somehow scrambled away from the rest before they could touch her, and when a few gun shots rang out managing to distract them she sighed in relief.

The Walkers began to pile out the hole she had left in the barn and she stood up to take out the back end. It was at that moment she felt it, almost nonexistent, but there all the same. It was the low thrum of a potential who hadn't reached their prime. She turned eyeing the dark corner as she heard more gunfire go off. That's when she heard a low unmistakable groan.

She froze as a child Walker stepped out of the shadows slowly, its eyes fixated on her. It took her addled brain a few seconds before she realized the feeling was coming from the child and she swallowed her horror as realization dawned. Whatever was left of the Slayer's essence hadn't completely dissipated from this Walker. A cold shiver ran up her spine and she shook her head unable to believe she was actually feeling this.

The girl seemed to watch her with knowing eyes. She moaned again after that, stepping slowly forward into the light and Buffy had to force herself not to step back. Buffy took in the girl's attire and that's when she realized who the girl must be. Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God, you're Sophia aren't you?" She whispered, not realizing she had spoken aloud.

The girl seemed to answer with a pleading look, but then her eyes went dead. Buffy heard a very familiar voice in her head the next second. A voice she recognized well. The demon herself, The Slayer. _'Kill me.'_ It whispered.

She stepped back, still not understanding. Was Sophia in there, trapped in a dead rotting shell? The essence was bound to the Chosen's soul, when a Slayer died the essence followed the soul into the ether. It's why Buffy was still a Slayer after her resurrection. The essence stays with the soul, and if that's true then Sophia and the Slayer part of her should have left when her body died.

' _This plague rips us apart. There is no more girl, only me. I cannot survive without the other. You know what you must do.'_ The voice whispered stoically.

Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head in denial. If the plague was killing the Slayer, what did that mean for the line? Her heart thundered in her chest at the full implication of how bad this was.

' _I will soon fade into nothing if you do not do this. Please, give me a warrior's death."_

Buffy's entire body began to tremble at the sheer effort it took not to breakdown completely. She closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. "Turn around." She choked out quietly.

The girl did as requested very slowly, and Buffy walked towards her. She held the dagger in her hand so tightly she was lucky she didn't destroy the hilt. Her knuckles had turned white, and her fingers began to cramp from the pressure. "Are you sure?" She asked.

Her only response was a low snarling growl. "I'm so sorry." Buffy whispered, before she plunged the dagger deep into the back of the girl's skull.

The girl slumped forward and Buffy caught her, pulling her into her arms as she fell to her knees and cradled the dead weight in her arms. She started to cry, her entire body shaking as she was hit with uncontrollable sobs. The unfairness of it all crashed down on her as the utter reality that they were in hell became overwhelming.

That's how they all found her, cradling what had once been Sophia as she sobbed her apologies into the girls blood matted hair.

*o*o*

It took a while to finally coax the child's body out of Buffy's arms. Carol had taken one look at her daughter and lost it, running into the R.V. and locking herself away before anyone had a chance to stop her. Daryl had been the one to finally get Buffy to let go and he had taking great care as he carried Sophia's lifeless body outside. Andrea and Maggie managed to help Buffy to her feet as Oz stepped forward meeting her eyes. "I need Willow." She said hollowly. "This is even bigger than we thought."

He nodded, not sure what had changed since this morning, but he wouldn't question her. Something had happened in the barn, something beyond Sophia being a Walker. "I'll start the research. Get yourself patched up and get some rest."

Buffy opened her mouth to argue, and then shut it. She just didn't have the energy right now. She let the women guide her towards the house; barely comprehending where she was. She didn't even notice the black scorch mark from where the Wendigo had fallen.

They led her inside and through the house, straight to the bathroom where Maggie helped her sit on the toilet. Buffy thought she heard crying coming from somewhere, but was too deep in her own mind to care.

"D-do you need any help?" Maggie asked softly, still trying to come to terms with what she had seen this girl do a short time ago, while also trying to come to terms with what had happened to the other half of her family.

"Huh?" Buffy said, before the girls words finally penetrated. "Oh, umm…No," She whispered. "But thanks." She stood and turned her back on the girls and heard them both simultaneously hiss.

"You should have Hershel or Patricia take a look at those." Andrea spoke up, grimacing at the long gashes on Buffy's back.

"No need." Buffy sighed, reaching for the knobs on the tub. "They'll be almost healed by morning."

Both women's eyebrows rose, but they didn't comment. Neither woman really knew what to believe anymore, the world had virtually turned upside down as far as either of them was concerned. They silently left the young blonde to her bath, both of them heading downstairs to get some much needed explanations.

*o*o*

Buffy was just drying off when there was a light tapping at the door. She pulled the towel tightly around her tucking it in above her breasts, before she walked over and cracked the door. Daryl stood there looking at the ground, more uncomfortable than she'd ever seen him. He met her eyes and quickly looked back down, as red began to spread up his cheeks to his forehead. If Buffy didn't feel so utterly defeated she might have commented about it, but as of now she could barely bring herself to smile.

Daryl cleared his throat, before holding out a pile of clothes. "Oz thought ya' might need these."

She forced a small smile to her lips and nodded, taking the proffered clothing. "Thanks." She whispered, reaching for the door.

He shuffled his feet a second, before blurting. "He also wanted me to take a look at your back. Said ya' wouldn't be needin' stitches, but ya' should get some bandages and ointment on it."

Buffy shrugged, biting her lip and opening the door wider in a silent invitation. Daryl's eyes widened and he took a step back. "I-I can wait till you're decent."

"You can also turn your back while I get decent." She said quietly. "I haven't had any sleep in over twenty-four hours, Daryl. My head feels like little tin soldiers are rehashing Normandy, and I think if I have to be alone and think about how this day went one more time I might actually start tearing my hair out."

Daryl's lips twitched slightly at the visual. He stepped past her into the bathroom and she closed the door behind him. He turned to her and nodded once, before he turned back around. He heard the towel drop to the floor, and he started chewing on the callous on his thumb in his nervousness, trying not to think about Buffy being naked behind him. His eyes roved along the wall, and Daryl almost choked when he caught glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye in the mirror over the sink.

His eyes slammed shut, but the quick image of Buffy pulling on her panties was now burned into his retinas. He shook his head, trying to think of anything other than what he'd just seen. It was difficult but he finally managed to say something other than the incoherent rambling that was running through his brain.

"So… err, what the hell was that thing?" He asked in a choked voice, wanting to kick himself for his lack of confidence. _'Can I sound more stupid?'_

If Buffy heard the nervous crack in his voice she didn't make mention of it. She pulled the towel that she had wrapped around her hair off and began combing her fingers through her hair. "It was a Wendigo." She said, making a face at the knot she encountered.

"Damn." Daryl grunted. "Them things are real too?"

"Yep." She said popping the p. "Unfortunately most things are." She sighed when she realized her hair was a lost cause until she got a hold of a brush. She tied it in a loose bun on her head and reached for her jeans. "Never seen one this far south before, guess they started migrating looking for food."

Daryl grunted. "Used to spend some time on an Indian Reservation when I was a boy after Merle got locked-up, they had all types of old legends they used to tell." He paused. "Heard about Wendigos pretty early on, didn't think it look like that though."

Buffy frowned, She'd only ever heard him use the name once before and that was when he'd hit his head. "Merle? Is that your brother?"

Daryl sighed. "Yah' he's my brother."

Buffy had the sudden impression he didn't want to talk about it, which just made her more curious. She finished buttoning her jeans and picked up one of the towels, covering her chest with it. "You can turn around now."

He did, swallowing hard when he realized she hadn't put her shirt on yet. A blush rose to her cheeks, and he watched as she moved to the toilet, placing the lid down and sitting on it with her back facing him. Daryl got a full view of the claw marks on her back and he grimaced at the angry slashes. He reached in his pocket, pulling out the small pack of gauze, tape, and ointment Oz had handed him. He blew out a breath, before fumbling with the pack until he found the antibiotic ointment.

"You sure you ain't gonna need no stitches. These look pretty deep."

Buffy nodded. "I'm sure." She hissed slightly as his rough fingers began to dab the ointment on.

"Sorry." He murmured.

She smiled slightly. "It's all part of the job."

He grunted, but didn't comment. He continued to work on her back quietly for a long while. He covered each wound as best he could, trying to cause as little pain as possible. His mind kept wandering back to how he'd found Buffy in the barn. She had been devastated and he found himself wondering why. Not that he didn't understand how horrible the whole situation was, he more than got it. It was just that Buffy hadn't known Sophia, and they had already known she was dead. It shouldn't have been as surprising as it seemed. He mulled this over a while before he finally spoke his thoughts to her. "Buffy, what happened in the barn?"

"Sophia was a Slayer." She answered quietly. "Or she would have been when she reached the right age."

Daryl froze. "What?"

Buffy shook her head. "I shouldn't have been able to feel it." She paused swallowing the lump in her throat. "When a Slayer dies the Slayer part leaves with the soul, but with Sophia her soul was gone but the Slayer part was still there. It was weak, i-it was dying."

"So what's that mean?" Daryl asked, not liking the fear in her voice.

"I don't know." She whispered. "But it scares the hell out of me."


	11. Chapter Ten

A/N: My humblest apologies for taking so long. RL has been kicking my ass as of late, but I finally got this chapter done so thank you all for being so patient. I truly appreciate it. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews they are what keep me going even when its hard to find the time or motivation to write. I sincerely cherish and appreciate every single one.

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter Ten

It had been a week since the Wendigo incident that had torn what little hope the Greene family had in two, and everything seemed to be spiraling out of control. The morning of the funeral Hershel decided to take it upon himself to go get drunk at the local bar in town after the service, which would have been understandable had they still been living in a normal world.

Unfortunately they were not, and after Beth seemed to go into some sort of shock, Buffy, Rick, and Glen decided to go after the man, and thank god for that or this week could have turned out a lot worse than the clusterfuck it already was.

There was something to be said when humans went evil; with a demon you really couldn't expect anything different. It's what they were created for, it's how they thrived, and we are merely meat for the beasts in their eyes. Humans however, are different. We are given a choice. We can go either way, but our souls are what make it harder for us to take the darker path.

So, when Buffy did come across evil humans, she always found herself battling the Slayer's thirst to annihilate the threat and the knowledge of what killing someone could do to her psyche.

At this moment though, there was no battle within. She could kill the sniveling coward in front of her and she would not feel remorse for it at all, just like she felt no remorse for killing the two men at the bar a week before. It was getting easier, and that knowledge alone made Buffy uncomfortable.

How many men had she killed that day in Florida? She didn't even remember half their faces. It all sort of blurred together now. She must have taken out at least five before the bullet penetrated her thigh and the explosion of pain had made her temporarily immobile. She remembered Oz's strong grip on her as he tried to drag her out of the line of fire, and that's when he was hit too. Buffy shook her head, trying to dislodge the picture of Oz making a meal out of the remaining men. She could still smell the sickening sweet coppery smell of human blood that had lingered on their skin for days after.

This new world seemed to consist of nothing but pain, blood, and death and it was beginning to wear on her.

She didn't flinch at the obvious sound of flesh smacking against flesh, nor did she flinch at the obvious whimper of pain the kid made. Rick had asked her and Daryl to try and extract information from the prisoner, in hopes of finding out more about the men who attacked them and how many were in their camp. She let Daryl take the lead on this one, partially because of her worrisome thoughts of late, partially because she would in all reality hurt the kid much worse than Daryl was, and also because things had been strained between the two of them since she had returned from her rescue mission with a bullet wound in her shoulder.

He hadn't been there when she left with Rick, having gone with Shane and T-Dog to collect more supplies from the school and hide what was left. Suffice it to say, he was not happy when he got back and found out she'd left, which had made matters even worse when she had come back wounded. Her mind replayed their screaming match and she cringed when she remembered letting slip one of her greatest fears. Something her and the Scoobies all suspected, but never actually talked about.

" _I don't get what your problem is?" Buffy snarled. "I'm the Slayer, remember? This is my job!"_

" _Naw" Daryl growled. "This ain't your job. Your job ain't takin' on a bunch of trigger happy humans." He paused for breath, before continuing. "Ya' told me yourself ya' ain't s'posed to be policin' them."_

" _And what was I supposed to do then, huh? Let them kill us? Give them directions to the farm?" She shook her head. "You know what? Forget it. I can take care of myself." She started to walk away when his angry bark stopped her in her tracks._

" _Yah," He shouted. "I can see what a great job you're doin' too."_

 _She whirled on him then, her fists clenching at her sides. "Fuck you, Dixon!"_

 _He glared at her, his eyes straying to her clenched fists as he shot her an accusing look. "Let me ask ya' somethin', where would we be if the shooter had a better aim, huh? Ya' ain't no good to any of us dead, or have ya' forgotten why you're here?"_

 _She snapped then, unable to hold back the reasoning behind her recklessness. The thing that most haunted her when she was alone at night and her thoughts wandered. The thing she knew in her heart to be true. "That would be all well and good, Daryl" She spat, "If a bullet could actually kill me, I might have tried it years ago."_

 _There was a long silent pause as the weight of what she had just admitted to herself, to him, hit like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened and her hand trembled as she raised it to her mouth. How long had she been avoiding this topic? How long had she been denying it? Since the day Sunnydale fell at least. She'd never verbalized it, but she was sure Willow and Xander suspected it when everyone started noticing she wasn't aging._

 _Shocked, she stared at Daryl and just as he opened his mouth to say something, she took off like a bat out of hell, unable to deny the truth to herself any longer._

"Aint ya' gonna help me?" The Randall slurred, yanking her from her memories and she heard Daryl threaten to remove the nasty scab the kid had acquired when his leg was impaled on a wrought iron fence.

It was downright laughable that the kid thought she would do anything to help him after being shot by either him or his cronies. She had been the one to protest the loudest about saving him after all. It was Rick who hadn't been able to leave the kid, and that's why they were all in this mess now. Not that she blamed Rick. She knew how hard it was making decisions like that and she could forgive someone making a bad decision for the right reasons.

Buffy barely looked up from cleaning her sword to respond to Randall's plea. "If you think I'm here to protect you from him you're sadly mistaken. You see, I'm not here to make sure he doesn't go too far." She looked up, her eyes flashing dangerously. "He's here to make sure I don't." She watched the rest of the color fade from the kid's already pale face, and he started talking. His panicked voice rambling out everything they wanted to know and more. When the kid started talking about the two young girls, Buffy's full attention was caught, and she did not like what she was hearing at all.

She had known the men she killed deserved it. They had deserved the bullet to the brain and the slit throat they received for trying to force their unwelcome company upon the Greene family. They deserved it for trying to hurt the people she was charged with protecting. Furthermore, they deserved it for the way they'd eyed her like a salivating pack of wild dogs that would have attacked without conscious had she been alone. In the face of what she was hearing now, the men had deserved far worse. She now wished she could have killed them slowly.

She moved across the room in less than a heartbeat, her dagger out before she even realized what she was doing. Daryl stood stock still, his eyes a mixture of fury and horror at what Randall had just revealed. He looked like a snake ready to strike, but she was quicker as she backhanded the kid.

"No," Randall screamed. "I didn't touch them. I swear!"

"Maybe," Buffy hissed. "But you didn't try to stop them either, did you?"

"What was I supposed to do?" He pleaded. "They woulda killed me."

Buffy ignored him, grabbing his throat and pressing her dagger into his crotch. "Did you get off on it Randall?" She asked in a deceptively sweet timbre, the murderous glint in her eyes belaying her tone. "Did you?"

"N-no…please, I ain't like that. I ain't." He whined.

"Funny how I don't believe you." She whispered harshly, her eyes narrowing into slits, before hitting him once more. "But taking your life isn't my call." She stood. "I suggest you don't do anything to make me change my mind."

She nodded at Daryl once, before leaving him to it.

*o*o*

As Rick watched Buffy leave the barn, he had a sinking feeling in his gut. The grim look on her face was telling as she approached him, and not for the first time he wondered why she hadn't tried to override his authority simply because of who she was. She was a natural born leader; you could see it in every piece of her. She walked with an air of authority that most would mistake as too much confidence, but any trained eye could see her true nature. She was a predator to those who did wrong, and someone to look up to the rest of the time.

"What'd you find out?" He asked.

"He said there's over thirty, some women and children, but mostly men. They have heavy artillery." Buffy looked around to see who was listening, before finally whispering harshly. "If he escapes, if he goes near any woman on this farm, or your son, I'll kill him myself."

Rick looked at her seriously. "You sure?"

"Does it look like I'm joking?" She snarled angrily.

"Give me a break Buffy." Rick said lowly. "I know what you meant. I mean are you sure there's that kind of danger to the group?"

Buffy had opened her mouth to argue, but quickly shut it. It wasn't Rick's fault she had been a raving bitch for the last week. Well, not completely his fault at least.

She heard the footsteps behind her, before Daryl's familiar baritone filled the air. "She's sure."

She turned to watch Daryl inconspicuously tuck his bloody hands into his jacket pocket. Nobody seemed to notice except for Dale and Carol, who both frowned in disapproval.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Lori asked, stepping up next to her husband.

Rick and Shane gave each other knowing looks. The bruises they were still sporting from the day before, the only sign they were on shaky terms at the moment. Rick turned to the rest of the group. "We have no choice." He said. His voice raising so the others could hear. "He's a threat, and we eliminate threats."

"So what," Dale questioned, stepping forward. "We're just gonna kill him?"

"I don't see how we have much choice?" Buffy spoke up, ignoring the inner voice that had been slowly dying for many years. The one that screamed, _'There's always a choice.'_ That voice was the reason she hadn't been able to kill Ben. Giles had done it in her stead, causing him to become cold and distant in later years. It was the same voice that wouldn't allow her to kill Warren that horrible year after her return from heaven; the reason Willow had lost Tara and almost herself to her grief. No, Buffy had been ignoring that voice for some time now, and she certainly wasn't going to start listening now.

"I can take on a pretty large herd of Walkers, but thirty men with guns…" Her eyes met Daryl's and held. "That's not something I'm willing to risk." It was a peace offering on her part, not quite the apology she planned to give, but he seemed to understand it with the slight nod he gave of his head before heading off in the direction of his tent. She sighed sadly as she watched him go. She needed to talk to him soon, before this got any more out of hand.

Rick's eyes scanned the group before meeting Buffy's, then Shane's. "It's settled… I'll do it today."

Buffy watched Rick walk off, Dale close on his heels. Dale looked like a man on a mission, and she suspected the decision wasn't quite as finalized as Rick thought. After all, he was a man with a conscience and a good heart; there was a possibility he may change his mind.

She shrugged to herself. This wasn't her decision to make, even if she knew killing Randall was the right one. This was the decision for the authorities, and for all intents and purposes, Shane and Rick was the last bit of law this sorry world had left. Though, Shane was teetering very close to the edge of that title, and heading straight into the realm of loose cannon and major liability land. He wasn't so far gone he couldn't be saved though, at least not yet.

Her eyes slid to the man in question and noticed him watching her, a contemplative look on his face. She and Shane had come to know one another in the past week and amazingly enough, he'd been one of the first people to offer themselves up in the research department. She suspected it was pure curiosity at first, but now he seemed to be fully on board. It was a start in the right direction on his part, and definitely something she hadn't been expecting.

"You got another one of them borin' ass books you need me to take a look at?" He asked.

Buffy raised her eyebrow. "You already finished the one from yesterday."

He scowled. "It ain't that hard to look up descriptions of spells. It's not like I have to understand what the damn ingredients are."

She snorted. He did have a point. "So I'm guessing the other one was a bust, huh?"

"Nothin' but exorcisms and ways to commune with the dead. Unless your witch friend had a mighty bad accident that book ain't gonna do jack." He said matter-of-factly.

Buffy nodded, "I thought as much." She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. God, what she wouldn't do for one of the Watchers Council appendices. "Alright, yah. I have a few more, if Oz hasn't already gone through them."

Shane looked around, "Where's he been hidin' at anyway?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "Beth and Maggie's been helping him research up at the house. Hershel's afraid of a repeat after what happened last week. He doesn't want to leave Beth alone."

Shane nodded in understanding. "Can't be easy for a kid her age realizin' the world ain't gonna get no better."

Buffy stiffened slightly at his words, but didn't comment.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to her tent before Shane finally spoke again. "So, you ever gonna talk to your boy again."

Buffy hand froze as she was reaching for the flap on the tent, slowly turning around and regarding him coolly. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

Shane's lips twitched in amusement and he held up his hands. "Now, I ain't tryin' to get a rise out of you, so you can just wipe that look off your face right now."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Then why do you care?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, smirking. "Maybe I'm curious." He paused to swipe his tongue over his split lip, before saying, "As much as I like to get Daryl all riled. I do realize he ain't like his brother. You was good for him, and…don't know… Maybe I'm over steppin' my bounds here, but I think…He seemed to be good for you too."

Buffy eyes softened at Shane's words. "It's complicated." She sighed. "I overreacted and said something I probably shouldn't have."

He looked at her in disbelief. "That's it?" He chuckled. "Well it must have been pretty bad. Damn girl, what'd you do? Insult his momma or something?"

Buffy paled, her eyes widening in horror, "God, of course not! Jesus! What kinda person does that?"

Shane shook his head, grinning at her reaction. "You'd be surprised." He stayed quiet a few moments before getting back to the topic at hand. "So if you didn't insult him, what's the problem?"

Buffy's shoulders slumped. "I…" She shrugged, "I don't know. I-I'm not really good at the whole relationship thing." She paused, and met Shane's brown eyes. "I don't have the best track record when it comes to men."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Pretty girl like you, can't imagine why." He said while running his hand over his skull trimmed hair, almost sheepishly.

Buffy frowned at him, wondering if he was being flirtatious or just gracious. After a few moments of silence, understanding began to dawn in his eyes, and he whistled. "Some fool really did a number on you I'm guessin'."

Buffy turned her back on him then, heading into the tent to find the books and get out of this conversation as quickly as possible. She heard him chuckle at her avoidance, and surprisingly followed her inside. He was being rather presumptuous today it seemed. Well, that was fine. She could handle him. It was better than him antagonizing Rick into contemplating murder.

"I'm right ain't I?" He said, ignoring the glare she shot him.

"Depending on the person's point of view, you could say the opposite is true, but it's not really important." She said in a bored tone, as she reached for her pack and began to dig through it. She wasn't going to let him know he was getting to her, not about this. She yanked out her bag of pictures and frowned. She didn't remember them being packed so haphazardly, and then she remembered when she had last looked at them. Her frown slowly melted into a sad smile.

That seemed to pull another chuckle out of Shane. "Well now, what you got there?"

He reached for the bag and she could have pulled it away in time, but she didn't.

She watched as Shane pulled a hand full of photos from the Ziploc, and handed the half full bag back to her. He began to casually flip through them, not really studying them closely.

"These more Slayers?" He asked.

"Some." she sighed, turning back to the task at hand. "But, most are of my family." Buffy paused, reaching further into the bag, digging down deeper until half her body was in it.

Shane frowned. "Don't really see much resemblance in anyone?"

Buffy dug further, she really had way to much crap in this pack. Next time Willow wanted to make enchanted packs for her and Oz; she was going to have to ask her not to make them quite so bottomless, or at least come up with some kind of organizing system. Shane's words registered, though they were a bit muffled, but she understood what he was asking. "That's because family isn't always about blood." Buffy stated, her words echoing around her slightly.

Shane looked up in surprise when Buffy's voice came out like she was standing in a cavern, and he damn near fell on his ass out of shock at what he was seeing. She had one of them packs you saw them cross country hikers wearing, except she was almost entirely inside the damn thing, and it was quite obvious she should have hit bottom a while ago. "What the hell, girl!" He barked, the pictures slipping from his fingers to scatter on the tent floor."

Buffy backed out, giving Shane an annoyed look. "What?"

"You… How? What?" He stuttered.

Buffy looked at him in confusion, before realization finally dawned and she rolled her eyes. "Oh Jesus, Shane." She said in a reprimanding tone, though her eyes sparkled in amusement. "It's called magic, doofus. Really, how many times do we have to go over this?" She shook her head. "Or did you forget what you've been reading for the past week?"

He got an affronted look on his face at her words. "Yah, well readin' about it ain't the same as seein' it." He said reaching down to pick up the pictures he dropped.

"It's just an enchanted bag." She sighed. "Willow got super obsessed with Harry Potter a few years back and tried implementing a few ideas from the book." She shook her head, a small smile playing across her lips. "The bottomless bag was one of the results, among many." She snorted in amusement, as she reached for the bag in question to finish her original task. "I swear she actually believed them. She wouldn't even let us say Voldemort's name for a year after reading those damn books."

Shane chuckled. "That's actually pretty…" His voice trailed off as his eyes landed on a picture of a young woman with long chestnut hair and shimmering blue eyes. She was smiling brightly back at him, her hair almost dancing around her shoulders. Buffy was there too, but he couldn't tear his eyes off the young woman. "Beautiful." He breathed.

"What was that?" Buffy asked, her voice taking on that echoing quality again as she searched the pack.

"Huh?" Shane started, tearing his eyes away from the photo. "Oh, um…Just your friend sounds real funny is all?" He contemplated keeping the picture, but dismissed it and stuffed the photo back in the stack, quickly shuffling them into a neat pile on her sleeping bag.

"Yah," Buffy said. "She's a real character. Smart too, like genius smart. She was hacking computers in high school." There was a pause after that, until Buffy gave a shout of triumph. "Found them." She said in victory. She shimmed out of the pack with a pile of ancient tombs clutched to her chest. Shane had a strange look on his face, almost guilty. He was pale, like he had seen a ghost or something. "Hey, you okay?"

Huh?" He started again. "Oh, oh yah… Yah I'm fine."

Buffy frowned, misinterpreting his discomfort for not warning him about her bag. "I'm sorry." She said immediately. "Next time I'll warn you before I give you a shock like that again."

He blinked at her in confusion for a second, before he caught on. "Oh, umm yah." He said sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Guess I'm gonna need to get used to the unexpected."

Buffy gave him a small sad smile, unfortunately he was going to get used to it quicker than he thought around her. "Let's head up to the house. Make sure Oz hasn't found something already."

Shane nodded in agreement. God, how he wanted to ask her about that girl, but he didn't dare. Not when it was so obvious how much the picture affected him. For the first time in months Lori wasn't at the front of his mind. For the first time in months he didn't feel hatred and jealousy when he saw Rick as he passed him on the way to the house. That wasn't right was it? How could he be so sure one second, and so confused the next? It was just a picture for Christ sakes, the girl was probably dead anyway. He shook his head trying to dislodge the image but it wouldn't budge. God, he was all kinds of screwed.

*o*o*

Daryl stared at the picture he had stolen from Buffy that very first night. He had only done it because he thought he'd never see her again, and he wanted to remember the beautiful girl who had taken care of him out of the simple kindness of her heart. The girl who had trusted him, and opened his eyes to a world he didn't know, but always suspected was there.

He had been so worried about her when he'd come back and found out she'd gone, and then when she'd come back hurt, blood all over her shirt and running down her arm his worry turned to all out terror. He couldn't remember a time when had felt so scared, not even when he found Merle's hand on that rooftop had he been that frightened, and she had been so fucking unconcerned. Like it didn't matter, like she could care less about her own goddamn safety, and it just made him so fucking angry he could have choked her.

He had snapped, he just fucking snapped. He had shouted at her, questioned her judgment, and basically called her reckless. Yeah, he was real lucky she hadn't just hauled off and punched him in the face. He sighed, running his finger down the side of her face. He still didn't understand exactly what she meant when she had said that shit about shooting herself, but he knew he didn't like hearing her talk like that.

He didn't hear the footsteps until they were right by the tent, which meant he knew exactly who's they were. He quickly shoved the photo under his pillow, before a light scratching sounded at the flap of his tent.

"Yah?" He asked gruffly.

"It…It's me," came Buffy's somewhat timid voice. "Can we… umm… Can we talk?"

He emerged from the tent a few seconds later, his crossbow slung over his back. "Ya' mind walkin' and talkin'?" He asked. "I got a few traps I gotta check."

She nodded, looking down nervously. "Yah." She agreed. "Yah, that sounds nice."

They fell into step next to each other, an awkward silence settling around them, before Buffy got up the courage to finally speak. "I just…I wanted to say I'm sorry, about the other day I mean."

"Ya' sure do apologize a lot, ya' know that?" He asked, a slight tinge of amusement in his voice.

Buffy bit her lip. "I do when I feel like I'm in the wrong." She said quietly. "You were worried, and I-I reacted badly." She sighed. "I guess I'm just not used to that anymore."

Daryl looked at her incredulously. "Ya' tellin' me Oz never worries about you?"

She shrugged. "He does." Buffy admitted, "But, not so bluntly, not anymore."

Daryl nodded. "It ain't just about me ya' know. We lose ya' and we lose the only hope we got left."

Buffy frowned in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ya' really don't see it, do ya'?" He asked.

Buffy shook her head. "See what?"

He stopped and turned, meeting her eyes with a long meaningful look. "Ya' know why Sophia's death didn't hurt me more? Why, after bein' so sure she was alive, and almost dyin' tryin' to find her, losing her weren't the blow I thought it be?"

Buffy shook her head.

"You." He stated simply. "You're the reason me and everyone else on this farm still believe in somethin'." He paused and turned to continue walking. "If it weren't for ya' we'd be a lot worse off."

Buffy swallowed thickly at his words and nodded. "I," Her voice came out in a croak, and she cleared her throat. "I understand."

They entered the woods walking quietly through the foliage. "So," Daryl said quietly. "Ya' mind telling me what that last part…" He trailed off as he heard it, the unmistakable sound of a Walker nearby.

She felt it before she heard it, and met Daryl's eyes as he stopped talking. She gave him a quick signal to follow her, before they both took off in the direction of the Walker.

It didn't take them long to find the thing, but to both of their horror it was not alone. Carl shirt was caught in the things grasp its legs stuck in the mud of the creek bed. She put on a burst of speed and killed the thing easily, Carl finally yanking free of the things dead grasp.

She rounded on the boy then, dropping to her knees in the mud to grasp his shoulder. "Are you okay? Did it scratch you?"

Carl shook his head. "N-no, I don't think so."

Buffy pulled his shirt collar aside just to make sure, and sighed in relief when all she saw was unblemished skin. Her fear for the boy gave way to anger, and before she knew what she was doing she shouted at him. "God Carl, what were you thinking?"

"I-I don't…" He shook his head before promptly bursting into tears.

She quickly pulled him into a hug at his reaction. "Shh," She hushed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled." She sighed, hugging him closer. "But you gotta be more careful. How would your dad and mom feel if you were bitten, or…" She trailed off, knowing she didn't need to finish that sentence. The kid was more than aware how close he'd come to almost dying.

"I-I'm sorry." He muttered miserably.

Buffy's eyes met Daryl's and he nodded at her in reassurance. His eyes held a soft quality she had never seen before. It was almost a mixture of pride and awe. She gave him a small smile, before turning back to Carl. She gathered the boy into her arms, frowning when she felt the distinct weight of a gun in the back of his pants. She didn't say anything though. She'd wait until she got him to Rick first.

"Come on; let's get you back to your parents." She said, hoisting him up fully. She made a big show of pretending like he was heavy, and saw Daryl smirk at her antics when he heard Carl's watery giggle.

They made their way out of the woods silently. Only a few sniffles from Carl along the way. They were almost to the camp when Lori spotted them, and took off at a dead run.

"What in the world?" Lori said, her worry written all over her tanned face.

"Found him down by the creek." Buffy said, handing him of to his mother and slyly pocketing the firearm. "Think he was trying to get a better look at a Walker stuck in the mud. Damn thing must have got loose, because it almost had him when we found him."

"Oh my god, son." Lori said, setting the boy back on his feet to look him over. "You coulda been bit. What on earth were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry mom." He said, looking at the ground ashamed.

Lori frowned. If there was one thing she knew about her boy, it was when he'd done something wrong, and from look on his face there was a lot more to the story than what Buffy had seen. She looked at Carl sternly, before saying. "We are gonna have a talk later, you and me. Now go wash up and help Patricia with the chores, you hear?"

Carl swallowed and nodded vigorously, before heading off in the direction of the house. Just as he reached the top step, Oz came tearing out of the house almost plowing into the boy. "Whoa, little man. Sorry about that."

He didn't wait for the kid to respond, to set on talking to Buffy. He called her name as he ran over, a smile stretching his face. "You're not gonna believe this." He said, as he finally reached her and Daryl. "We found it."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You sure?"

"Positive." Oz confirmed.

"Oh, thank God!" Buffy said, throwing her arms around Oz.

* * *

E/N: Yes I did just save Dale! And ten points to Gryffindor to whoever guesses who the mystery woman is. Lots of hugs my lovely readers, I hope you enjoyed.


	12. Chapter Eleven

A/N: For those of you who guessed, for those of you who didn't, and for those of you who are gonna bee disappointed. A lot of questions are going to be answered in this chapter, and a lot of new ones are gonna come forth. Happy reading, and thank you everyone who reviewed... Remember reviews are like chocolate, they make me warm inside...

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

It had been a trying few days. They had all agreed to put Randall's fate on hold, while they prepared for the ritual that would contact Willow. It had been forty-eight hours of mind-bending exercises, everything from a crash course in meditation, to visualization, to making them all understand the English translation of the spell. They had to understand what they were asking for, who they were asking for.

Surprisingly enough, the people who excelled were not the ones she was expecting. T-Dog and Andrea were awful at focusing their minds, and Glen, Carol, and Dale were very much second place in the badness category. Though she suspected with Carol it had more to do with grief than anything else.

The entire Greene family on the other hand, including Patricia and Jimmy seemed to take to it all _'like a duck-to-water'_ , as they said. Though the many questions regarding whether the script itself was satanic in nature was disconcerting and annoying at the same time. Having to explain herself over and over became tiresome.

Hershel was the first to grasp the concept of dark and white magic, which honestly wasn't that surprising. He was well versed when it came to scripture, and understood prayer better than most people. The only problem he had with the whole idea was that they'd be praying to another deity, and not the Lord himself. They had quite the debate about it, but Buffy had finally convinced him that he wouldn't actually be praying to another deity, he would be focusing his energy into the circle, not on the deity herself.

Maggie however, gave her a run for her money in the arguments department. Though, she was quite good at what Buffy was teaching her, she became reluctant in wanting to learn it. That was until Oz explained using the same techniques in dealing with werewolves who wanted to learn to control themselves. She had listened intently as he explained what it had taken him to learn that kind of control. Buffy also further convinced her with the explanation that intent was a huge factor when it came to a spell. A white spell could easily become a dark spell if the intent was not pure. Considering, that they were only trying to contact a friend, the intent of said spell could never be mistaken as malicious in nature. It had taken quite a bit of convincing, but Maggie eventually caved and stopped fighting them.

Beth on the other hand was a natural born white witch. She excelled at the tasks they'd given her, and on a few occasions Buffy caught Oz eyeing the girl with pride, admiration, and something else, something she hadn't seen on his face for quite some time. She wasn't worried about it though, there were too many factors keeping Oz from making any kind of move on the girl, not that Oz was a move making kind of guy to begin with. Buffy frowned at her jumbled thoughts and shook her head.

She looked at Daryl as he got into place next to her and smiled. He was also quite good at meditation and visualization. Shane, Rick and Lori following close behind in the talent department. They weren't powerful, but they understood the concept behind the method and tapping into unused power was what they needed to give this spell the boost it required.

Buffy and Oz could never have performed this spell alone. Their casting talents were amateur level at best, so they were definitely grateful for all the help and willing bodies. They were also hoping power in numbers really meant something right now.

Buffy looked at all the people following her lead even when they didn't have to, especially the ones she knew didn't fully grasp the magnitude of what the group was about to attempt. They were trusting her to keep them safe, perhaps even end this nightmare and she hoped by everything holy she could fulfill this hope; even if she couldn't bring their loved ones back. She took a deep breath, understanding in that moment she truly cared for these people she'd only known a few weeks. All of them, even the ones she hadn't gotten to know well.

She smiled. They were going to do this. Together they would take this first step toward ending the horror once and for all and the realization lifted some of the weight resting on her shoulders. For a short time, she watched the group quietly and then spoke before anyone started to get restless or twitchy. "Before we begin," She paused, waiting for everyone's full attention. When all eyes turned on her she continued, "I wanted to thank you all for doing this, even those who were unsuccessful at completing our crash course." Her eyes rose to meet the group standing off to the side of their makeshift circle. "Magic is no easy thing and I did not expect all of you to grasp the concept in the forty-eight hour time period we allotted." Buffy paused, her eyes turning to the Greene family sitting in the circle with her. She was using her diplomatic voice. The one she'd used a hundred times when dealing with some of the more resistant Werewolf packs around the country. "To those of you who are uneasy because you feel this goes against your faith, I am truly sorry for asking you to do this, and eternally grateful for your willingness to participate even in the face of your misgivings. Under normal circumstances I would never ask this of you, but in these times of not knowing what exactly it is we're facing…" Her eyes scanned the circle of people, meeting each person with warm gratitude. "I can't thank you enough for being here."

There was a murmur of appreciation from the people around her, as well as from the group that was next to the RV.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to happen next. "Let's start by lighting the candles." She said, reaching for her lighter and passed it to Daryl after lighting the white candle in her hand. The lighting went on until all of the candles were glowing brightly. "Now, remember… deep breaths, and find your center."

When Buffy was satisfied they were all deep in a meditative trance she closed her eyes, focusing on one of her oldest friends. A few moments later Oz began to recite the words in their original Latin text.

*o*o*

Willow sighed in annoyance at the useless tome she was reading. They were getting absolutely nowhere in this quest of Dawn's, and though she had always been one for research she was really starting to believe that this wasn't something they could fix. Well at least not in the mystical sense. Whatever this was, acted too much like an infection to be anything other than natural in origin. She sighed dramatically, pushing the useless book away from her. "This is ridiculous, Dawn."

Dawn looked up from her notes, irritated at the interruption to her concentration. "What?" She snapped.

"This!" Willow said, gesturing with her arms at the pile of books. "We've been researching nonstop for a month and a half straight and we haven't found anything to lead us to believe there is any chance of curing this by mystical means."

Dawn frowned at her, opening her mouth to argue when Willow cut her off. "Look, I'm not saying we should give up, but maybe we should be looking at more medical means in curing it. Maybe start helping Rose's side of the research, you know?"

Dawn shrugged, her eyes traveling back to her notepad to continue writing. "If that's how you feel, then go work with her on that end. I'm fine researching this side."

"Dawnie, think about this for a…" Willow started to say, but was cut off by the loud smack of Dawn's hand slamming against the table. She jumped in surprise.

"God dammit Willow! We've already discussed this." Dawn said furiously. "I'm not giving up on this."

"And I've already told you!" Willow snapped in frustration. "There's no way this is mystical. It can't be. I would have felt something coming from the Walkers, and I don't!"

Dawn's eyes narrowed at the redhead. "And I told you, there's no way this is natural. It can't be. There's something or someone behind it, and I'm gonna find out what…or who."

Willow sighed in defeat. "How do you know? Why are you so certain?"

Dawn looked down at her hands, shaking her head as her voice softened to a whisper. "I just do. I can…I can feel it."

A frown marred her face as she studied the younger Summers. Before she could question the girl further, a loud bang sounded throughout the study, throwing both girls out of their chairs. When both women got to their feet, a large glowing sphere floated before them. Colors swirled in the orb for a few seconds and then as if someone adjusting the tuner of a television set, the colors began to separate and make shapes until they formed a picture. No, that wasn't right. It wasn't a picture at all, it was a broadcast. It was the living breathing face of a person both girls loved dearly.

"Buffy?" Willow breathed in disbelief.

*o*o*

Buffy heard the people around her gasp as the sphere formed in front of them, but her eyes were too focused on the swirling forms taking shape inside the orb. As the fuzziness slowly cleared, Buffy was met by the familiar eyes of one of her oldest friends. She heard Willow's voice for the first time in months, and she could barely hold back the sob trying to bubble out of her throat.

"Willow." She whispered.

"Oh my God, Buffy!" Willow exclaimed, a joyful smile lighting her face.

The next second, any hope Buffy had of keeping her composure was completely shattered as her baby sister came into view. Her face crumpled. She couldn't hold back the tears if she tried. "Dawnie?" She breathed. "Oh God, Dawnie!"

Dawn seemed to be in a similar state. Her hand was against her mouth and large tears cascaded down her cheeks. Speechless, the youngest Summers shook her head in disbelief.

Buffy studied her baby sister. She looked older, more tired than Buffy had ever seen her before. It hit home hard, the realization of what her sister must have gone through, what she was probably still going through in fact.

"Where are you?" Willow asked, succeeding in tearing Buffy out of her scrutiny as her eyes found the redhead's again.

"Georgia. Not too far from Newnan." She answered. Her eyes traveling back to her sisters of their own accord. If Buffy had been paying attention she would have noticed another set of eyes riveted on her sister, but she was too focused on Dawn.

"Look Willow," Buffy said, forcing herself to get to the topic at hand and reluctantly pulling her gaze away from Dawn's. "I need answers, and I need them fast. I was recently visited by an old acquaintance."

Willow frowned. "Who?"

"Whistler," was Buffy's one worded response.

Willow's eyes widened. "The Balance Demon? The one who helped Angel?"

"The one and the same." Buffy confirmed. "He had some information for me. Said this is mystical and that _you_ are being blocked."

Willow froze, her face going pale. She could feel the visual daggers being shot her way by Dawn, but didn't bother to look and confirm it. "Buffy," She said seriously, her voice shaking. "We're coming to you."

"We?" Buffy questioned, shaking her head. "I-I don't know if that's such…" But neither girl was listening; both went into hyper drive mode. Willow had pulled out a radio and was rambling off information into it, while Dawn was haphazardly tossing random items into a bag. She watched her sister streak into a nearby room, coming back with a mountain of clothing moments later.

"Yes, you heard me Andrew." Willow was saying. "No, I'm not gonna wait for backup. We have too many girls out as it is." There was a pause. "Yes I'm sure. Yes, I am." Irritation flared in her eyes. "Then tell them to take it up with me when I get back." She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, didn't catch that. Gotta go, talk when we get back."

Buffy watched in amusement as Willow turned the walkie off on Andrew's ramblings. "I see Andrew hasn't changed."

Dawn came into view, a pack slung over her shoulder. "Oh no, he has." She commented. "He's ten times worse since this whole thing happened."

"Oh I bet." Buffy snorted. "I can already hear him rambling on about radioactive contamination from space probes and the Umbrella Corporation."

Dawn raised her eyebrows in amusement. "I wasn't aware you saw 'Resident Evil', and I'm even more shocked you sat down and watched 'Night of the Living Dead'."

"Smart ass." Buffy murmured, a grin tugging at her lips.

"That's why you love me." Dawn quipped, before she became serious once more. "We're gonna need you to hold that circle Buffy."

Willow spoke up then. "You guys are gonna feel a major surge of power on our end, and it might be uncomfortable, but you need to hold or you could send us spiraling into another dimension."

Buffy frowned at Willow. "What exactly are you gonna do?"

Dawn and Willow exchanged a look, before Willow answered. "We're gonna latch onto the magical signature to find you, kinda like GPS. Dawns gonna use her blood to boost the signal. In essence were gonna turn your window into a door."

Buffy frowned. "I really don't like the sound of this. Maybe this isn't such a good…"

Buffy never got to finish what she was saying though, as Dawn furiously cut her off. "No. I've spent the last month and a half working on this. If you've got information, I need it."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "And I can't just tell you this way?"

Both Willow and Dawn exchanged an amused glance, before Willow spoke up. "Umm, no offence Buffy, but you aren't exactly the best at relaying important information. If Whistler talked to you, I'm gonna need to talk to everyone who heard him."

She scowled. "Gee thanks for the vote of confidence, guys."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "You once referred to the Order of Aurelius as the Order of Cornelius."

Buffy heard both Oz and Daryl snort and her scowl deepened. "It's a stupid name, and anyway I think I know my Greek Mythology."

Dawn's face pinched in annoyance. "Yeah well…wait a minute." Dawn paused, her eyes widening. "D-did you just say Greek Mythology?"

Willow's eyes widened as well. "Buffy, we're on our way."

Without giving the Slayer time to reply, Willow reached out her hand and murmured a few words. The group around Buffy gasped as they felt the sudden surge of power, the hairs on their neck and arms starting to prickle. "Hold." Buffy forced out as the air started to become heavy with ozone.

Dawn quickly sliced her palm with a blade and placed her bloody hand against the floating orb and the feeling around them intensified tenfold. Buffy vaguely recalled hearing Oz telling people not to break their concentration, to hold on.

It happened fast, but it felt like an eternity. The sphere began to grow, as swirling colors of purple and blue pulsed inside what could now only be considered a portal. The air became even more repressive, and the pressure of the power being funneled their way was almost too much to bear. The next second two figures emerged from the swirling mass, and just like that the pressure was gone, the portal disappearing with a loud pop that almost shattered eardrums.

Buffy sucked in big lungful's of air and as the ringing in her head began to subside, she tried focusing her eyes on her surroundings. They didn't want to work properly at first, but as the fuzziness began to lessen she was able to make out some of the people's faces around her. She scanned them as critically as she could, assessing if there was any damage done. They seemed to be in about the same state as her, but luckily no worse for wear. As her eyes roved over each of their faces they came to an abrupt stop on Shane, who was staring in blank wonder at the center of the circle. Buffy's eyes immediately followed his line of sight and she stopped short at the sight that greeted her.

The candle Buffy had been clutching moments before fell to the ground without a second thought and she was on her feet and moving.

"Dawnie? Willow? Are you okay?" She fell to her knees in front of the two women crouched on the ground breathing heavily.

Willow looked up, giving her a shaky yet exuberant smile. "Just," she said breathlessly. "A little winded."

Buffy chuckled, before throwing her arms around the redhead. "God, I've missed you." She said, before releasing Willow and turning to Dawn next.

Dawn slowly raised her head then, meeting her big sister's eyes. "Buffy." She whispered, launching herself at her.

Buffy's arms immediately engulfed the youngest Summers and her heart nearly broke at the broken sobs that emerged from Dawns throat. "Oh sweetie." She whispered, her own tears mixing with Dawn's. Buffy pulled back kissing her sister's forehead and brushing away the hair sticking to her wet cheeks. "You look older." She observed.

Dawn gave out a watery giggle at the comment. "And you look like you haven't aged a day, as usual."

Buffy snorted, pulling her in for one more hug, before standing and helping her sister to her feet. Willow was already standing, eyeing the surrounding people curiously.

"Come on you two." Buffy said, leading them towards the group. "There are some people I'd like you both to meet."

As they turned towards the group Buffy noticed most had moved over towards the RV. She could hear laughter and loud chatter coming from those who had been in the circle and she suspected they were all still suffering the effects of their post magical high. She understood that well, for she was still feeling the effects rather strongly herself. Though, that very well could be attributed to the fact that she was now standing next to two of the people she loved most in this world.

Buffy was glad to see the people who had lingered behind were the ones she was closest too at the moment. Well excluding Oz. He was still convinced Willow did something to his wolf. He would make himself scarce for the next couple days, or however long they decided to stay.

She walked over to the men huddled together talking quietly, unable to wipe the grin from her face. "Hey guys." She said gaining their attention, and judging by the goofy smiles they shot her in return, they were still under the after effects of the spell as well. "I'd like you all to meet my best friend, Willow Rosenberg, and my baby sister Dawn."

Shane's face drained of color at the news about who his mystery girl was, and as was common he reacted the only way he knew how. He walked forward and grasped the red heads hand first. "Ya'll, really know how to make an entrance." He moved to Dawn next, meeting her eyes and his breath caught at what he saw. She was more beautiful in person, even with the red rimmed eyes and her face blotchy from crying. She was absolutely gorgeous. He reached his hand out and as their fingers touched a warm tingling jolt went through him. She must have felt it too, because her beautiful blue eyes widened and a pink blush immediately spread across her cheeks and nose.

"Name's Shane. Shane Walsh." He said hoarsely, his hand lingering in hers a moment longer than was necessary and her blush spread even more. He found himself enchanted by her innocence.

"Dawn." She answered quietly, her entire face hot from the energy that seemed to linger between her and the handsome man. "Nice to meet you Shane."

His name on her lips made his heart pound in his ears and the blood rush in the opposite direction. He smiled at her, stepping back to give the other's room for introductions, though his eyes never left the young woman's even as Rick stepped up.

Rick introduced himself to the two women, and quickly stepped back next to Shane as Hershel stepped up. He looked at his oldest friend, whispering lowly. "You think you coulda been more obvious?"

He scowled at Rick, but didn't have time to answer because Hershel was already coming over to them and Daryl was stepping up for the introductions. Shane watched in amusement as Buffy tried to explain to the girls who exactly he was to her, and both girls reactions had him chuckling under his breath.

"Is he a vamp?" Dawn blurted, making both Buffy and Daryl scowl at her sister.

"No." Buffy ground out in annoyance. "Does he look like one?"

"Well, Buffy," Willow stepped in diplomatically, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "You can't really blame her for assuming. I mean your track record isn't exactly the shining example of all things human."

Her face became pinched at the reminder, and she ignored Willows comment entirely. "Come on." She said. "Let's go meet the rest of them."

"You mean you have more than one boyfriend?" Dawn quipped as she fell into step next to her sister, causing all four men and Willow to burst out laughing.

Buffy glared at Dawn. "Hardy, har, har, Dawnie. Keep it up and you'll be sleeping with the cows."

*o*o*

After all of the introductions were out of the way, they all took seats around the camp fire. Buffy noticed Shane watching her sister the entire evening and it was quite obvious he was rather taken with her. She didn't know how she felt about that, especially with the way Dawn's eyes kept straying back to his. The critical thinking part of her brain was partially okay with it. This could be exactly what Shane needed to get over his obsession with Lori, but the big sister part of her brain wanted to march over and smack them both upside the head and scream, NO.

The other thing Buffy didn't particularly like was the way Andrea kept glaring at her sister either. So the blonde and Shane had a thing after all. She had suspected as much, but wasn't positive until now. She shot her own glare at the blonde, who quickly looked away from her penetrating gaze.

She didn't know the woman well and was a bit too mouthy for Buffy's taste, but as long as she kept that sharp tongue the hell away from Dawn they wouldn't have any problems. She wasn't particularly worried about Dawn. The girl could give as good as she got when it came to mouthing off, but if Andrea was jealous it could turn into more than just snide remarks, and Buffy really didn't want to have to step in between an all-out cat fight.

"So, Buffy," Willow started, pulling the Slayer out of her thoughts. "What exactly did Whistler say?"

She sighed. "Not a lot, just enough to be cryptic and annoying." The Slayer shrugged, her eyes meeting Oz who had tucked himself away from the rest of the group for fear of catching Willow's scent. "He said what I already told you, that you were being blocked, apparently the Powers are too. He said they can't get a read on whomever or whatever it is, but they suspect a fallen Power or an Old One."

Willow nodded, "That's why they sent out that mass Slayer Dream a few weeks ago. I bet they weren't sure how long of a window they'd have open."

Buffy nodded. "That's what I'm thinking too."

"So what about the Greek Mythology you were talking about?" Dawn spoke up next.

Buffy opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when Shane's voice filled the air. "Dude said somethin' about Apollo."

Willow and Dawn both gasped in horror.

"Yah," Daryl agreed cutting in, suddenly uncomfortable with all the eyes now on him. "Except he didn't seem to think it was him. Said it wasn't really his style. That he didn't care about humans like that."

Buffy nodded in agreement. "But after, he mentioned something else, something it might actually be."

"What?" Willow and Dawn asked in unison.

Buffy swallowed, preparing herself for the total freak out that was sure to come. "He asked if I've ever heard of Pandora and he mentioned a tomb."

Both Willow and Dawn paled at the news. "What?" Dawn squeaked in horror, as Willow shook her head in disbelief.

"He mentioned the Deeper Well too." Oz said from his seat.

Willow's eyes met her ex's and she nodded. "That's where the legend says it is."

"I'm assuming Pandora's Box isn't actually a physical box." Glen said. "That it's something else."

"You would be very correct." Dawn said smiling at him, completely ignoring the blue eyed brunette's glare. "It's based off the legend of _the_ Apocalypse. Not just any old Apocalypse either. _The_ Apocalypse, as in the one from Revelations."

Buffy paled at this. "So, what exactly does that mean?"

Hershel spoke next, a frown marring his features. "Pandora's Box holds The Four Horseman, doesn't it?"

Willow nodded. "Not exactly what you read in the Scriptures sir, but that would be an accurate description in laymen's terms, yes."

The man blew out a long breath he must have been holding. "So this illness, it's… It was a design of Plague, himself."

Dawn nodded. "Though, in some translations his name is Conquest or Conqueror, and if you go even further back some believed The Four Horseman was one entity. In other cultures they have completely different names altogether. For instance, in ancient Mesopotamia the name is Nergal and he's said to command the Ilū Sebettu also known as the Seven Gods, who are prominently known as agents of death and destruction." Dawn paused, looking to Willow to continue.

"The truth is," Willow started. "Every culture throughout history has a final Apocalypse story, which makes the reality of this all the more real. We may not have had any giant earthquakes and the sea may not have boiled, but the world has ended and the dead are walking."

"Jesus." Dawn said, a humorless laugh falling from her lips. "I can't believe this isn't the first thing we started researching. It seems so obvious now."

"Is there anything else?" Willow asked.

"Yes." Buffy admitted quietly. She hadn't told anyone but Daryl, and revealing it now right in front of Carol made her stomach turn. "There was a girl in Rick's group. She got turned." Buffy sucked in a breath and looked at the woman in question. "W-when I approached her she didn't attack me. S-she was a Potential." Willow opened her mouth to interrupt but Buffy held up her hand forestalling her. "I never met her before she was turned Willow." Buffy said. "But when she approached me." Buffy shook her head. "The Slayer was still in her. S-she talked to me in my mind. Her soul was gone, but the Slayer was still there, a-and it was dying."

Carol gasped, her hand going to her mouth as both Willow and Dawn had a similar reaction.

"D-do you have any ideas on why that is?" Buffy asked.

Both women shook their heads, looking at each other warily. "When I activated the Potentials," Willow started. "The magic I used was pure, I asked for balance when requesting the gift. I-I knew how badly it could throw the universe out of whack if I didn't." Willow shook her head. "If I was to take an educated guess, I would have to assume that whatever this thing is, it's trying to destroy that balance."

"That would be my guess too." Dawn whispered.

"And you wouldn't be wrong." A familiar voice confirmed.

Buffy narrowed her eyes, turning to look at the half-demon who was slowly becoming the biggest pain in her ass ever. "Whistler!" She growled, getting to her feet and turning around.

"Hey," He said, holding up his hands in neutrality. "Don't kill the messenger."

"So give us the message and leave." She snarked.

He grinned at her. "I always did like your spunk, kid."

Buffy rolled her eyes, unimpressed with the annoying demon. "Just get to the point, Whistler."

"Alright," He said stepping forward. "If you don't find a way to stop this, when this thing hits full fruition," he scanned the group his eyes landed on Lori. "She will be the last mother to ever birth a potential."

Lori sucked in a breath of surprise, her arms coming around her stomach as if to protect her baby.

"A Slayer?" Buffy breathed. "She's pregnant with a Slayer?"

"Why do you think we sent you here, kid?" Then he snapped his fingers and was gone.

"I seriously hate when he does that." She growled in frustration, before turning back toward the others.

Willow was already on her feet stepping up to Lori. "May I?" She asked, holding out her hands.

Lori eyed the redhead warily, but nodded her consent all the same. Willow closed her eyes and placed both hands on the woman's stomach. It only took a moment before she stepped back. "Well," Willow confirmed. "She's definitely a potential."

"She?" Lori breathed, her hands coming back to cover her stomach.

"All Slayers are girls." Willow confirmed.

Lori looked at Rick, her eyes clouding over with unshed tears. "We're having a baby girl."

Rick released the breath he had been holding, his own tears filling his eyes. "A girl," was all he could manage. "A girl."


	13. Chapter Twelve

A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed! You guys are always so amazing and supportive. Please keep them up they totally make my day! Sorry this chapter took a bit longer than expected, I haven't been feeling very well. I hope you all enjoy it.

Special thanks to my amazing beta Charlotte!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Dawn awoke at the same time she did every morning, only this morning she was struck with the realization she wasn't in her own bed. She stared in confusion at the underside of a vinyl tent. The lack of a wooden ceiling brought the day before rushing back in technicolor and surround sound. Soft breathing sounds came from the sleeping bag next to her and a gentle smile formed on her lips when she turned over and saw her sister lying there.

It had been a long time since Dawn had slept a full night soundly and she could only attribute that to the presence of her sister. She had been so worried over these past few months, terrified her incompetence had gotten Buffy killed as well.

For the first time in her life, she understood exactly what Buffy dealt with daily. She understood with perfect clarity what it was to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she also knew how it felt to fail miserably. For if it hadn't been for Dawn not trusting a feeling that had consumed her for months, everyone might have known about the danger before it got out of control.

When the feeling first started she didn't know what to make of it. She had just started the Watcher's Academy, having finally finishing up her Masters in linguistics and ancient history at Oxford. At first she credited this feeling of wrongness to starting a new school. Like, she was subconsciously second guessing her career path or something. But no, that couldn't have been right either, because she loved what she was learning. She had already surpassed most of her classmates by the firsthand knowledge she'd gained from growing up with Buffy on the Hellmouth and all her teachers had begun to rave that she would be training a Slayer by her second year. So, after a while she dismissed the notion it was school related and tried to ignore it, but it didn't go away.

The strange nightmares started after that; dreams of abandoned cities and overgrown towns. No monsters or enemies populated these dreams, just an empty lonely feeling. Like she was the only person left on earth. She found herself becoming obsessed with odd subjects of study, things she never had any interest in prior. She ate up any book she could get her hands on that had anything to do with survival techniques, hunting, herbal medicine, and map reading. This obsession was confusing and she didn't understand it at all.

She learned many things growing up on the Hellmouth. Monsters existed and her sister was a superhero. Above all, she learned that next to her keyness, she was completely human. Prophetic dreams weren't her thing. She didn't have a spider sense and she was definitely no seer; but when those first reports of cannibalism started to pour in and that urgent feeling intensified, she couldn't ignore it any longer. That was the moment she acknowledged the fear and she immediately called Buffy. When she hadn't been able to reach her, she called Giles in her stead.

Her heart ached at the memory of her surrogate father, and she had to swallow back sudden tears. He was the only one she'd told about the feeling, and he hadn't judged her for not saying something sooner. Not even after Kennedy had succumbed to the illness and attacked Giles did he blame her. Not even when he took his last breath.

It was just too bad she couldn't stop blaming herself.

No one knew of the thoughts and doubts that terrorized her daily. That she had made such a miscalculated error in judgment. She should have known. She should have done something. God, if she'd just made one phone call, everything could have been avoided.

Her guilt was like a heavy dark cloud around her. This was her punishment, living in this world where every dead face she saw was her fault, was her doing. This was what she deserved for ignoring such a red flag.

God, she wondered what Buffy would say when she inevitably told her. She had a pretty good idea, at least, she thought she did. _'God, I hope I do_.' Okay, she needed to stop now before she gave herself a panic attack. She was heading into what she lovingly called Buffy-logic-land and that way lead to madness.

The truth was Dawn had no way of knowing on any given day how Buffy would react. It could go one of two ways. Either Buffy would have a freak out session about always trusting your instincts, or she would try and console Dawn and tell her it wasn't her fault. As far as she was concerned, neither of those reactions would help solve anything. They needed to find out what this was and why she was the only one who got any warning. Furthermore, they needed to find out what Pandora's Box had to do with the Key, because Dawn could honestly think of no other reason for her to have felt this otherwise.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much left in the Watchers' archives about the Key. The First had taken care of those years ago, and anything that had been left about her origin she had read in full. She just hoped there was something she missed when they started researching Pandora.

Dawn yawned, before studying her sister's sleeping form. Buffy had seemed exhausted last night, like she hadn't slept in days, and judging by how well she knew her sister, that probably wasn't too far off the mark.

Stretching, Dawn stifled another yawn and checked the time on her watch before forcing herself to leave the warmth of her sleeping bag. She figured Buffy could use a couple more hours of sleep after the events of last night. It was still early yet, and Dawn wanted to clear her head a bit before jumping back on the research bandwagon.

She figured if she was going for a walk anyway she might as well make the most of it. Her supply of healing herbs for the salves she made was getting low. She'd mostly depleted them around Wolf City, and she wanted to see what she could find here in Georgia.

She reached for the pack she brought, pulling out a pair of clean clothes. As she was dressing she heard Buffy mumble her name.

"I'm here." Dawn whispered, before pulling her shirt over her head.

"What time is it?" Her sister asked with a groan.

"Still early," Dawn paused. "It's okay. Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a little while." Dawn reached for her leather satchel, as well as the collection jars she brought with her.

"Wait," Buffy said, slowly sitting up with a yawn. "Where are you going?"

The desperation in Buffy's voice coaxed a warm smile to her face. "Going for a walk, just need to clear my head," Dawn paused. "Also wanted to see if I could resupply some of the herbs I've been missing."

"Oh, right." Buffy yawned again, "I forgot you recently got into that."

Dawn cringed slightly, but not enough for her sister to pick up on it in her half-asleep state. "Umm…Yeah…I don't know why. It was really just kinda a fluke thing, you know?" Dawn cringed even further at the panicked lie.

"Yah." Buffy acknowledged groggily while she rubbed at her eyes. She opened them for a second, only to slam them shut again and flop back down on her side with a groan. "Don't go far, kay?" She murmured, and as an afterthought added. "And take a weapon too."

"Already got it." Dawn said, holding up her machete.

Buffy's blood shot eyes squinted at the weapon. "Take a gun." Buffy mumbled. "In my bag," she vaguely gestured around her as her voice tapered off and her breathing evened out.

Dawn smiled softly, stepping over to Buffy and kissing her on the cheek. She reached for Buffy's pack, retrieving the gun out of the side pocket. She checked the safety, before tucking it into the back of her pants and heading out.

*o*o*

Shane was just coming off watch when he saw the young brunette heading towards the woods. He frowned, concern for her flooding his system. He had been planning on talking to Lori this morning about the news of them having a little girl.

Oh, he remembered what she said about it not being his, even if it was, but he wasn't willing to throw in the towel on this one. He had thought about it long and hard all night and came to one defining answer. He could let her go, he could go back to only thinking of Carl as Rick's son and not his own, but Shane knew in his heart of hearts that the little girl growing inside Lori was his. He didn't know how he knew, he just did.

He had planned on asking Lori for the right to participate in the raising of the baby once she was born. He wanted to know his daughter, even if she only called him Uncle Shane and no one ever told her the truth. He felt it was his right to know her, even if that meant sharing her with Rick and pretending she wasn't his blood. Which, would be a real bitch in and of itself, but he could do it. He could be the bigger man. He could compromise. He just didn't want to be treated like he didn't matter in this.

It wasn't right; the way Lori just disregarded the possibility of that baby being his. It made his blood boil just thinking about it. He would never do that to someone, not even if he hated them, and the way she bounced from one extreme to another confused the shit out of him.

He wondered idly when he finally realized Lori wasn't the person he thought she was. He'd been thinking along these lines for the past couple days and the only thing that made any sense was that damn picture he saw, and then last night. God, the picture came to life and the girl was right in front of him. He'd been stunned, completely tongue tied by her, and to make the situation worse he'd just found out she was Buffy's fucking little sister. Like, he didn't already have enough problems to contend with.

If he could, he would simply bed the girl to get this gnawing, festering sensation out of his chest. He wanted his head back in the right place, not in the clouds constantly analyzing every little thing he said or did. Jesus, he'd only just met the girl and he was acting like a fucking school kid with his first goddamn crush. He just wanted to feel normal again, or as normal as one could feel in this fucked up piece of shit world. But, that was just it wasn't it? He'd been in the girl's presence for less than a full hour last night and he felt more like himself in those forty minutes than he had since the world went to hell.

He shook his head in disbelief. There was no way that slip of a girl had anything to do with his new found revelations or the sudden calm he had felt last night. The picture had only been a reminder that Lori wasn't the only fish in the sea and the calm he had felt, well, that had to be left over from the spell they had all helped cast.

He realized now exactly why he had been so utterly jealous of Rick, and why he'd fought his best friend every step of the way. For the first time in his life, Shane has experienced a taste of what having a family was like, and he'd been consumed by it. He realized he wanted it more than anything he'd ever wanted before. He wanted a child he could call his own, and he wanted a woman who really loved him. He realized he was the asshole who stood back and watched everyone's life play out, envious of what others had, but too afraid to go out and find it himself.

As he watched Dawn disappear into the trees, he knew his plan to talk to Lori had been completely shot to hell and he cursed under his breath. He wasn't angry at the girl per se. He was angry at himself. He shouldn't have cared about what happened to her, but was hit with a wave of concern all the same.

She should know better than to go wondering around alone like that. She wasn't a child for Christ's sake. Even Carl seemed to have better sense.

His feet started heading after her of their own accord, and before he even realized it he was following the path she took. It didn't take him long to find her either, and when he did he stopped short at the sight she presented.

She was on her knees with one of them gardening shovels. A trowel he thought it was called. She had gloves on, and she was digging the roots up of a large bush with spikey purple and green bulbs.

She was humming? She was actually fucking humming, and when he realized she had half a headphone on his face pinched in anger. Was she crazy doing that out here in the woods, and what the hell she was doing anyway? But, instead of barking at her like he wanted to, he found himself gruffly saying, "You really shouldn't be out here alone."

Dawn visibly jumped at his voice. Her entire body stiffened and she whirled around the trowel ready to be used as a weapon if need be. She relaxed slightly when she saw it was only him. "God, you scared me." She breathed.

He shrugged. "You're lucky it wasn't someone else. Coulda snatched you up right quick, and we'd of never known."

Dawn blushed at the reprimand. He was probably right about that, though it didn't seem like these woods were inhabited by to many people besides the Greene family. "I wasn't aware I needed to worry about anyone but Walkers out here." She commented, turning back to her task at hand.

Shane smiled at her feistiness, coming over to crouch beside her. "I always say, it's better to be safe than sorry."

Dawn snorted. "I hate to break it to you buddy, but you're not the only one that says it."

Shane chuckled at her quick wit. That was definitely something that both Summers women had in common and he once again felt that strange calm wash over him. He watched as she managed to pull up the first root and finally his curiosity got the best of him. "What in the world are you doin' anyway?"

Dawn smiled. "This is known as Burdock." She said holding up the root. "Its roots are used for healing skin infections, among other natural remedies." When all Shane did was keep staring blankly, she elaborated. "I'm almost out of my stash of natural herbs for making healing salves and wanted to see what I could find out here."

"Oh," He said as understanding dawned. He gave her a boyish smile, before asking. "You're real smart, huh?"

She looked at him sharply, trying to read if it was a slight on her, or him just making an observation. When she realized it was the latter, her face softened and she shrugged. "I hope so. My sister and the WC paid good money to make sure."

He snorted, completely charmed by her sarcasm and modesty. She was absolutely nothing like he expected and definitely not what he was used too. "Where'd you go to school?"

"Oxford." She said matter-of-factly, like that was an everyday occurrence in these parts. Shane's eyes widened at her statement. "I have a Masters in Linguistics and Ancient History." She added.

"Woo wee girl!" Shane said teasing her. "Ain't you just Miss Sophisticated?"

Dawn's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that, I'm just a geek with the means."

"You ain't no geek." Shane said, amusement sparking in his brown eyes.

She looked at him a long time, before replying in her usual sarcastic manner. "I'm not sure you're aware, but since _you_ were in high school," She put extra emphasis on you. "Geek is no longer a derogatory term." Dawn paused, frowning when she realized he was smiling at her. "Are you fu- messing with me?" She cut her cursing off before it could start, _'Thank you Spike, for teaching me that at such a young age.'_

Shane's smile widened. "Maybe." He responded cockily, but before she could respond back, his face became serious. "Figure since I ain't goin' nowhere until you're done with what you're doin', I may as well help you."

Dawn blinked at him in surprise." Seriously?"

"Yah girl." He chuckled. "Your sister would have my balls in a mason jar if I just left you to your own devices."

Dawn frowned at him in annoyance. "My sister knows where I am, Shane."

"Uh huh." Shane said. "And how awake was she when you asked?"

That seemed to piss her off even more he realized, when her frown deepened into a scowl. "Awake enough to remind me to take a gun." She snapped, pulling out the offending object and pointing it at him.

A low whistle hissed through his teeth and he held up his hands. "Damn girl, I didn't mean no offence." He paused, before adding, "You even know how to use that thing?"

Her face went bright red in anger or embarrassment, he wasn't quite sure which. Until, she cocked that hammer on her weapon and asked snidely. "You wanna find out?"

Damn, but she was something, wasn't she? Her blue eyes all full of angry fire like that. She was one hell of a little spitfire he realized. "Now, is that anyway to treat the guy who's just lookin' out for you?"

She snorted at that. "Yeah, I'll believe it when I actually see it."

"I'm here ain't I?" Shane said simply.

Dawn rolled her eyes at him and lowered the gun. "And who exactly decided to make you my keeper?"

His eyebrows shot up at her words, and he shook his head in disbelief. "Your sister," He said again. "Hence, the balls in the mason jar comment."

She made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "I can take care of myself, thanks. I really don't need a babysitter."

Shane sighed, running his hand over his skull trimmed head. "Well I ain't leavin' you, so you may as well make the most of my company."

Looking thoroughly annoyed at his words, there was something else in her eyes too. He couldn't quite place it, but he almost thought it was gratitude. "Fine," She snapped. "Be a stubborn jackass."

She turned back to her task and didn't say anything for a long time, which was fine with Shane. It gave him more time to study her. She really was quite beautiful. Her soft features matching that of her sister's. They both had a pixie like quality to them, the shape of their faces, the angle of their nose, but where Buffy was hard and cold in her countenance, Dawn seemed to have a quiet cunning way about her. She also looked older than her sister he realized, which he found kind of strange considering their age difference.

He mentally snorted at himself. After everything he'd recently seen nothing should seem bizarre anymore, but wrapping his head around the idea of the supernatural was one hard pill to swallow after being taught all his life that monsters weren't real.

Shane noticed her looking at him out of the corner of her eye every once in a while, until she finally let out a long quiet sigh. She looked at him, the irritation from earlier all but banished from her features. "You really wanna help?" She asked, almost timidly.

He was surprised by her sudden change in demeanor but he didn't let it show. "Wouldn't of offered if I didn't." He said sincerely. "Who knows," He added, a bit of teasing in his voice. "Might actually learn somthin'."

Dawn cracked a smile at that, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Don't beat yourself up about it. We can't all be prodigies."

Shane chuckled, a devilish smile on his face. "I'll have you know I was quite the prodigy back in the day, just not when it came to schoolin'."

"Hmm," Dawn hummed. "I can imagine."

It was on the tip of his tongue to blurt out the sudden remark that popped in his head at her words, and if it had been anyone else he would have. Instead, he swallowed it down and changed the subject back to the original topic. "So what you need me to do?"

She blinked in surprise, almost as if she'd been expecting a different response. She seemed to shake it off quickly though, and the next second she was explaining how to dig the roots out of the soil.

*o*o*

Dawn had been gone a few hours when Buffy was startled awake by a frantic Rick bursting into her tent in a panic. She was on her feet in a flash at the sudden interruption to her sleep. He was lucky she realized it was him when she did or he might have received an up close and personal demonstration of her full strength. He seemed to realize his error too because he froze, his eyes widening at the fist that had stopped a hair's breath away from impact.

"Jesus, Rick." Buffy chastised groggily, lowering her arm. "I could have killed you."

"Sorry." He breathed, shaking his head. "But we gotta real big problem."

She gave him her full attention. Her sleep addled brain quickly clearing at his words. "What?"

"Randall slipped his cuffs." Rick admitted. "And we can't find Shane neither."

The mention of the latter made Buffy's eyes travel to the empty sleeping bag, and the muddled memory of her sister leaving slammed into her like a freight train. _'Okay, okay! Dawnie was a level headed girl. She wouldn't be stupid enough to go for someone like Shane unless she knew him. Would she?'_

"Well," Buffy said a humorless laugh spilling from her lips. "We may have to kill Shane. Or," She added underneath her breath. "I might have to kill them both."

Rick's eyes traveled to the empty sleeping bag after that and he frowned. "Where's your sis?"

"She went for a walk to see what healing herbs she could find." Buffy answered, a hysterical note entering her voice as a thousand different horrible scenarios played out in her head.

"When was this?" Rick asked, understanding dawning in his eyes.

"Early." She said worry lines etched on her face. "Probably around five. I-I didn't check my watch."

He frowned. "That's right around the time Shane woulda been coming off his shift." A weight slowly began to lift as a relieved sigh hissed from his lips. If Shane noticed Dawn wandering into the woods Rick was almost positive his former partner would have gone after the girl. He was pretty sure Buffy wasn't too happy about it, but a selfish part of him didn't care.

He didn't want to fight with his friend anymore, and he knew exactly where their recent rivalry was heading. It was a path Rick couldn't even imagine taking no matter how hard Shane pushed. He found himself relieved by Buffy's sister's presence. He'd seen the way he looked at Dawn last night and found himself thanking whatever God was listening for the immediate interest Shane had taken in the young woman.

Buffy glared at the man. She could almost see his thoughts by his facial expressions. "That's what I'm worried about."

Rick was startled out of his musing by Buffy's voice, and he looked at her in surprise. "I don't think he would act on it Buffy, at least not this soon. If Shane did accompany her, it was to protect her."

Buffy looked at Rick a contemplative frown marring her face, "I know," She finally answered. "I don't think he's that kind of evil." She paused as her shoulders slumped. "I'm just being the overbearing big sister I suppose. I just don't want to see her hurt."

"Buffy," Rick started, "There ain't nothin' wrong with that, but you gotta admit Dawn being here is definitely gonna ease the tension between me and him. You saw how he looked at her." Rick paused. "I aint never seen him look at a girl like that." He sighed sadly, finally adding. "Not even Lori."

Buffy's eyes softened into one of sympathy and she was about to respond when both of them heard a far off cry. It sounded almost like a bird at first, but the pitch was off and the way it suddenly cut out, rather than tapering off, had Buffy's eyes widening in horror. There was only one person in this world capable of belting out a scream of that magnitude and Buffy was moving before her brain even registered what was going on.

*o*o*

Oz walked around the inside of the barn, a frown plastered on his face as he sniffed at the air. "Man, I don't know why Rick and Dale are so sure Shane had anything to do with Randall escaping." He shook his head annoyed and looked at Daryl and T-dog. "He hasn't even been in here."

Daryl nodded having already discerned that from the few tracks he could see on the ground. "Ain't nobody recently been in here except Carol, and there ain't no way she woulda set him loose."

"So then where the hell is Shane at?" T-Dog asked.

Both men shrugged. "Ain't really our problem now is…" Daryl abruptly stopped and frowned at the strange cry he suddenly heard. He didn't notice the way Oz stiffened or the way the man pupils had grown to an inhuman size, he was too focused on the strange noise coming from quite a long distance away. It cut off suddenly and his frown deepened. "Ain't never heard no bird that sounded like that before."

"That's because it wasn't a bird." Oz said, his voice already deepening as he felt the wolf take a bit of control, "Only one girl capable of screaming that loud." He said, his feet already carrying him to the exit. "And if she's hurt, whoever did it's gonna wish they were never born."

*o*o*

Dawn couldn't stop giggling at the story Shane was telling. She had tried not to let him charm her. She really had, but he was real smooth in the way he managed to slip under her defenses so quickly. He'd gotten her to smile at him. Which, she tried with all her might to prevent, and now he'd gotten her to laugh.

It wasn't that she was trying to be a bitch for bitchiness's sake, and it also wasn't because she didn't find him attractive. She so totally did. She just wasn't stupid. The look on Andrea's face at Shane's sudden interest in her, and the look on Shane's face when Lori had found out she was having a girl painted a pretty obvious picture. Shane was what she loving referred to in college as a manwhore, or at least she thought he was. Now, she wasn't so sure.

He had been a perfect gentleman all morning, barely even flirting with her. That definitely threw her for a proverbial loop and she was irritated he wasn't acting like she expected. He wasn't supposed to be funny and sweet. He wasn't even supposed to be halfway smart. He was supposed to be a meathead. He was supposed to be a cocky, arrogant, asshole. That way she could hate him and ignore the heated looks he shot her every once in a while, but now here she was laughing at his story and giving the looks right back. Dammit, she was so going to find a way to blame this on him.

"I can't believe you did that to your Principles car." She said shaking her head, as the giggles began to die down.

"Yah, well, I was a lot more fun back then." Shane said, a small chuckle leaving his lips.

She smiled at him. Her eyes once again going to the fading bruises she could see on his face. She didn't mean to ask. She really didn't, but before she could stop herself her curiosity got the best of her and the words spilled from her mouth. "How'd you get the bruises?"

Shane sobered at her words, his eyes immediately finding the soil on his hands interesting. "Just had a disagreement is all."

"With Rick." She concluded.

At first she thought he wouldn't confirm it, but then he let out a long sigh, his hand immediately rubbing at his skull trimmed hair. "Yah." He said quietly. "Yah it was Rick."

Dawn bit her lip, wanting to push a little bit more, but not sure if she should. The next second she realized she didn't have to because his words pretty much verified what she had been suspecting since last night.

"Your sis tell you what's goin' on? Tried to warn you away from me?" He asked, his dark brown eyes meeting hers.

Dawn shook her head and said quietly. "She didn't have to. I have a pretty good set of eyes and I'm very perceptive."

Shane smiled gently at her, almost sadly. "That you are girl. That you are."

Dawn was quiet for a long time, finally getting the courage to ask. "You wanna…you wanna talk about it?" She smiled at him softly, before adding. "I've been told I'm a very good listener."

Shane shrugged, his dark eyes breaking contact. "Ain't a lot to talk about, thought Rick was dead. Me and Lori got…close." He chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "Obviously I was wrong."

Dawn frowned at the man. "How long was Rick gone before you guys, you know."

He looked at her, shrugging again. "About a month."

She bit her lip in contemplation. That really wasn't a whole lot of time, but then again people did stupid things when they were hurting. Dawn could attest to that from personal experience. Her next question she almost didn't want to know the answer to, but she was never one to run from things so she forced herself to ask. "Do you…Do you love her?"

Shane looked at her surprised and just as he opened his mouth to reply, Dawn caught movement out of the corner of her eye, but by then it was too late. The plank of wood slammed into Shane's face eliciting a sickening crunch as it shattered his nose. He went sprawling on his back with a loud thud and painful groan.

Dawn screamed in horror as she watched the assailant strike Shane again in the face knocking him unconscious. She scrambled for her gun. Her fingers finding the cool steel, but before she could raise the gun fully, the kid slammed the plank down on her wrist eliciting another ear shattering shriek from the girl.

Dawn was almost positive her wrist was broken, the pain making it difficult to think or see straight. She scrambled away blindly; adrenaline the only thing guiding her, but it was far too late. She felt the barrel of the gun press against her temple as a hand wound itself in her hair and she froze.

"Well now." A voice said. "Aint you just a pretty little thing."

* * *

E/N: So as you can see we are starting to get to the end of Season Two of TWD, and hope nobody minds that I've changed so much. I would also like to request anyone with fanart talent, and I would be eternally grateful if someone made a banner for this story. I hope you all enjoyed it, and don't forget to review.


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